Marzuki elected to chair human rights commission

Marzuki elected to chair human rights commission

JAKARTA (JP): Marzuki Darusman was elected as the new chairman
of the National Commission on Human Rights during a meeting on
Saturday that also saw the appointment of six new members, the
commission announced on Monday.

Marzuki, formerly the commission's deputy chairman, told
reporters that the six new members were children's rights
activist Nafsiah Mboi, former judges Sulistyowati Soegondo and
Benyamin Mangkoedilaga, noted ulemas Ali Yafie and Said Agil
Siradj, and Cornell-trained agricultural economist H.S. Dillon.

They took the places left vacant by former chairman Munawir
Sjadzali, senior political scientist Miriam Budiardjo, lawyer
Gani Djemat, Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, law professor Sri
Soemantri and Minister of Justice Muladi.

Munawir, Miriam, Nurcholish and Sri Soemantri are being
retained as advisers.

Clementino dos Reis Amaral was chosen as secretary-general to
replace Baharuddin Lopa, and Djoko Soegianto and Bambang W.
Soeharto were appointed as first and second deputy chairmen.

The 25-member commission was established by presidential
decree in 1993 and has since been free to elect its own leaders
without any official interference.

Marzuki is the commission's third chairman. He was elected to
the post in spite of his growing involvement with Golkar, the
country's dominant political organization. He is deputy chairman
of Golkar and heads the group's faction in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Marzuki said the commission has established access to the top
decision makers in the National Police and that communication
with all provincial police forces "has been made much easier" as
a result.

Marzuki said the new law on human rights currently being
drafted by the government should further strengthen the
commission.

"In the future, the commission will function as a court of
justice to handle cases of human rights violations and I hope we
will also be given the authority to summon witnesses," Marzuki
said.

Dillon said separately on Monday that one of his main
priorities was to fight for the rights of farmers.

"We have witnessed in the past that farmers are a group of
people who are frequently discriminated against ... their rights
are very often not respected.

"So, I think it is now high time that we started treating
farmers as citizens with full rights," said the executive
director of the Center for Agricultural Policy Analysis.

Nafsiah said she hoped that children's rights would get a
higher profile on the national agenda.

"I hope to be able to contribute to the promotion and
protection of children and their rights," Nafsiah, who is also a
member of the United Nations Committee for the Rights of the
Child, said. (byg)