Munawir elected rights body chief

JAKARTA (JP): Munawir Sjadzali, an advisor to President Soeharto and a former minister of religious affairs, was elected chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights last night.

Securing 12 votes, Munawir beat his only rival in the chairmanship race, Arnold Baramuli, a legislator from the ruling Golkar political organization, who got seven votes.

The commission has 21 members, including Munawir and Baramuli, who are eligible to vote. Two members, Muladi and Albert Hasibuan, were absent.

The commission, which has won public acclaim for its relative independence, originally had 25 members when it was formed in 1993. However, four have since died.

Commission members said that Munawir, 71, was the most appropriate person for the top post.

"It is good for the institution to have him as chairman," said commission deputy chief Marzuki Darusman. "He (Sjadzali) is independent and has integrity and vision."

"Munawir has the capacity for the position," the organization's Secretary-General, Baharuddin Lopa, said.

The commission chairmanship had been left vacant since June when its chief, Ali Said, died of asthma.

Munawir denied allegations he had the support of the government to fill the position.

"I was democratically elected by fellow commission members," he said. He added that there would be no basic change in policies during his chairmanship, which will last until 1998.

Munawir pledged to maintain the commission's independence, despite the fact that the organization relies on the government for its finances.

"We, however, will accept donations from other institutions or individuals, as long as they are non-binding," he said.

The commission has been criticized by Indonesia's powerful military over a preliminary report on riots that rocked Jakarta on July 27, the worst violence the capital has seen in 20 years.

The preliminary report, released on Aug. 31, said that five people had died, 149 were injured and 74 were missing.

The human rights body, founded in 1993, came under pressure from the government and the military to justify the findings. The military said only four people died and had not acknowledged any missing persons.

Marzuki said the commission would be discussing its final report on the riots later this week.

Marzuki had been tipped for the commission chairmanship, but he refused it. (imn)