National rights body derided as 'a club'

National rights body derided as 'a club'

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights was
handed a fresh no-confidence motion over its legitimacy on
Tuesday.

The long-standing issue resurfaced during the launching of a
book on human rights titled National Commission on Human Rights
in Five Years of Services, compiled by local journalists grouped
in the Forum of Common Sense.

Noted legal expert and non-governmental organization activist
Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara accused the commission of lacking
legitimacy because it was established under a presidential decree
but it does not provide an account to the president.

"In order to prevent the president's intervention, the
commission endorsed a statute which enables it to choose its own
members," Garuda said.

"The idea to maintain independence is good, but such a
practice has reduced the commission to a mere club."

Founded in 1993, the commission's 25 members range from
nongovernmental activists to politicians.

Garuda said there should be a law fortifying the commission
with legitimacy and extra authority to force the government to
heed all its recommendations.

He said the law could state that prospective commission
members be nominated by the House of Representatives before being
installed by the president.

Former commission secretary-general Baharuddin Lopa and a
commission member, Clementino dos Reis Amaral, took issue with
Garuda's comments.

"The commission has always submitted its annual report either
to the president or nongovernmental institutions. It is the
people whom we serve the guarantee of our legitimacy," said Lopa,
who is the designated envoy to Saudi Arabia.

Clementino, who represented commission chairman Marzuki
Darusman, said House selection of members would change the rights
body into a political institution.

"Each faction in the House will nominate its own cadres for
places in the commission. Political struggle will mar the
selection of commission members," Clementino argued.

Lopa admitted recruitment procedures needed reviewing.

In response to a call by Minister of Justice Muladi for
commission members to relinquish posts in political parties,
Garuda suggested the commission apply a code of ethics to keep it
on track.

"I'm not saying that politicians must be barred from the
commission, but a few cases in the past teach us that people have
difficulty accepting a commission member who apparently voices
his or her political party's interests."

He was referring to Marzuki's statement that banning civil
servants from political activities breached human rights
principles. Marzuki chairs the Golkar faction in the People's
Consultative Assembly. Golkar formerly insisted that civil
servants should be allowed to hold executive posts in their
political parties.

Both Lopa and Clementino agreed with Garuda's point, but said
they were unconcerned about politicization of the commission.

"As far as I know only people who are committed to human
rights advocacy qualify for the commission membership. They
manage to put public interests before those of their respective
party," Clementino said. (amd)