NGOs back PPP's bid for human rights charter

NGOs back PPP's bid for human rights charter

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party's (PPP) bid for the
establishment of a People's Consultative Assembly decree on human
rights received a boost yesterday when 10 non-governmental
organizations declared their support for the campaign.

A delegation led by Bambang Widjojanto representing the legal
aid and human rights protection institutes urged the PPP faction
in the Assembly to continue its efforts to make its draft of
human rights charter a decree.

"I suggest PPP fight it to the hilt and opt to walk out if the
majority in the Assembly reject the draft," one of the delegation
members, Arbi Sanit, told the PPP faction chief in the Assembly,
Jusuf Syakir.

Several PPP legislators, including Aisyah Amini, Zain
Bedjeber, Hadimulyo and Muhammad Buang, attended the hearing.

PPP, as well as fellow minority faction the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), demanded an Assembly decree on human
rights. But the dominant Golkar faction and its traditional
allies, the Armed Forces and regional representatives factions,
rejected the idea and suggested that human rights principles be
incorporated in the State Policy Guidelines.

Some observers argued that the first option -- establishing a
separate decree -- would ensure better human rights protection.

Arbi said PPP's proposal was worth supporting because human
rights had long become everybody's concern. He said a rights
charter would encourage people, and particularly government
apparatus, to behave according to human rights principles.

"Our surveys conclude that government apparatus are prone to
human rights violations," Arbi said.

Another delegate, Billah of the Community for Participation
Social Management, said PPP's hard-fought struggle to defend its
human rights draft would draw sympathy from the public.

"PPP has the power to bargain (with Golkar and allies),
because it bears universal interest. It's time PPP made amends
for its past losses," said Billah, referring to PPP's previous
reputation as a meek member of the body.

The NGOs said in their joint statement that they threw their
weight behind PPP's bid because despite the presence of human
rights principles in the 1945 Constitution, Indonesia had yet to
ratify the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.

They suggested that PPP improve its draft in accordance with
the covenant.

"The human rights charter must serve as a prime reference for
our national laws, meaning that it must allow review of laws
which have the potential to violate human rights," the group
said.

Arbi said in its campaign for a human rights charter, PPP
should also reject Golkar's motion to grant the next president
special powers to take preemptive measures against those
considered endangering the national development program.

"PPP's acceptance of the Golkar draft will cancel out its bid
for a decree on human rights," Arbi said.

The PPP's draft will be discussed in a session of the
Assembly's ad hoc committee from Dec. 11 to Dec. 16. (amd)