Munir refuses to help government

JAKARTA (JP): Noted rights activist Munir refused on Friday to help the government draft a revision of the Emergency Law and argued that such a law is completely unnecessary.

"This country doesn't need such a law. I will not help the government revise the Emergency Law as requested by Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra because there is no need for it," Munir said.

"I will help the government only if Yusril can prove that Indonesia really needs such a law," he told journalists during a joint conference held by several legal watchdogs to condemn the Emergency Law.

Munir said the government should also issue a regulation revoking Law No. 23/1959 on subversion and reject the new law. He also urged the House of Representatives to rescind their approval for the new Emergency Law.

"By revoking both existing laws, the government can no longer use the subversion law as a bargaining chip in arguing that the new law is more humane than its predecessor," he said.

Munir claimed that the government should prioritize several other laws which are currently awaiting revision, such as the laws on human rights, the police and the Criminal Procedures Code.

"Its better to revise other laws aimed at protecting the people's rights rather than working on a tool for the government to maintain power," he said.

"Or even better, to make a new law which protects the people's rights when they are violated," he added.

The government decided to postpone approving the law which was enacted by the House in September last year following wide-scale public protests.

A team from the justice and human rights ministry, the defense ministry, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police has been formed to review the law.

On Thursday, Yusril told journalists that during a meeting with several legal watchdogs scrutinizing the Emergency Law, he had given Munir a deadline of Oct. 27 to produce a revised version of the law to be presented to the House so that it could be quickly put into effect.

However, Munir denied that he had offered to help revise the law, saying that no agreement had been made during Wednesday's meeting between the watchdogs and the minister. (07/bby)