Munawir's tough job

Munawir's tough job

Being chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights
carries a lot of prestige, but it is a job that is also very
tough, demanding and politically daunting. It is so tough that
even a person of high standing such as Munawir Sjadzali -- with
his impeccable record as a diplomat, Islamic scholar, cabinet
minister and statesman -- reluctantly accepted the results of an
election by his colleagues in the commission to become their new
chairman. He fills the slot vacated following the demise of Ali
Said in June.

Just how tough and demanding are the chairmanship's duties is
reflected by the refusal of Ali Said's deputy, Marzuki Darusman,
and Secretary-General Baharudin Lopa to even be nominated,
although either of them would have made a perfect candidate.

Munawir now faces the unenviable task of filling the shoes of
Ali Said, whose leadership helped give the commission its present
standing and reputation, both at home and abroad.

In the three years since its establishment, the commission has
become an important democratic institution, at times even
perceived by some people as more important than the House of
Representatives. More and more people, some from far-flung
places, have turned to the commission for help. Even if the
commission did not directly solve their problems, at least it
raised public attention to their plights and prompted relevant
government agencies to act.

The commission's courage in facing the government and the
military over allegations of human rights violations in East
Timor, Irian Jaya, Ujungpandang and more recently, in Jakarta,
has won it plaudits from even the early skeptics. When it was
founded, many doubted it could work independently, given that its
members were selected and appointed by President Soeharto and its
operation was entirely financed by the government. Events in the
last three years have proven that the commission is staffed with
independent-minded people genuinely concerned with human rights
who are willing to confront the government and the military
whenever the need arises.

Ali Said rarely made public appearances as chairman, but his
personal stature -- his law career spanned the posts of military
prosecutor, judge, attorney general, minister of justice and
finally chief justice -- loomed large in the background behind
all the work carried out by commission members.

The question most frequently asked today is whether Munawir
and his colleagues in the commission can continue the work and
traditions that were started by Ali Said.

There are some encouraging signs. The chairmanship election
was carried out in a very democratic fashion, without any outside
pressure. The choice of Munawir was appropriate because, besides
his impressive background, he is also seen as acceptable to the
government, one of the requirements for the job. Like Ali Said,
he can turn his past involvement with the establishment to the
commission's advantage.

While no one doubts his independence, there remains the
question of how tough he will be when confronting the military, a
likely prospect in the line of the commission's duty.

Unlike Ali Said, Munawir does not have any military
background. Fortunately, this may not be necessary, because most
of the groundwork to make the commission independent and highly
respectable was already completed during Ali Said's tenure. All
Munawir has to do now is continue the work.

The litmus test of Munawir's leadership, independence and
strength will come sooner than many people think. The commission
is expected to soon publish the much-awaited report of its
findings about the July 27 riot in Jakarta. Its preliminary
report differed with the official account of events and the
government has since challenged the commission to support its
claims with evidence.