New Law Needed to Strengthen Komnas HAM Independence

Komnas HAM member Amiruddin stated that the revised Human Rights Law must strengthen the commission’s independence and institutional capacity to address increasingly complex human rights enforcement challenges. Amiruddin said strengthening the new regulations is crucial to ensure Komnas HAM can optimally carry out its human rights protection and promotion functions. ‘The new Human Rights Law is expected to maximise its role in protecting and promoting human rights,’ Amiruddin stated in Jakarta on Tuesday. Speaking at a public discussion at the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) in Depok, West Java, on Monday, 25 May, Amiruddin said institutional strengthening must encompass independence at the institutional, official, operational, and budgetary levels to enable Komnas HAM to function effectively as the national human rights institution. ‘When discussing Komnas HAM’s independence, it refers to these four aspects. These are minimum standards. Komnas HAM should exceed them. But we can’t even meet the minimum,’ he said. He noted that Komnas HAM currently operates between state and civil society interests, making independence essential for the institution to maintain credibility in monitoring human rights. ‘Komnas HAM is caught between the state and civil society. This tension necessitates its independence,’ he said. Beyond regulatory strengthening, Amiruddin highlighted the need to enhance Komnas HAM’s staff capacity and secure adequate funding to enable the institution to fulfil its functions across all 38 provinces. He stressed that strengthening human resources and institutional capacity is necessary for Komnas HAM to respond effectively to emerging human rights challenges, including the protection of civil liberties and monitoring state policies.