Munir refuses to help government
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)