No decree on rights: Assembly

JAKARTA (JP): Hopes that human rights would be placed on an exclusive plane died yesterday as a People's Consultative Assembly committee decided to close the book on appeals to issue an unprecedented decree on human rights.

Chief of the Assembly's ad hoc committee deliberating the motion, Wiranto, said all the five factions had agreed to include human rights protection in the draft 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines.

"Following the agreement, we consider the deliberation of a motion on human rights already completed.

"We will now make some necessary adjustments to the draft on human rights protection which will be included as part of the policy guidelines," said Wiranto, who is also Army Chief of Staff, after yesterday's session.

The motion to issue a separate decree on human rights was initiated by the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Despite mounting public support from the National Commission on Human Rights and various non-government organizations, the two minority factions were faced with strong reluctance from the dominant Golkar faction and its traditional allies, the Armed Forces and regional representatives

Golkar has remained steadfast, arguing that human rights protection should be placed in the policy guidelines under the section on law development, and not as a separate decree.

The PDI had hinted a few days ago that it would drop its motion for a separate decree on human rights.

PPP spokesman Zain Badjeber said yesterday the Moslem-based faction could accept the committee's decision out of respect to the other committee discussing the State Policy Guidelines which have already endorsed a five-point draft on human rights to be included.

"We find the draft covers the substances of rights protection we have long been fighting for," Zain said.

Another PPP representative, Aisyah Amini, denied that her faction had given up its struggle, saying that the acceptance was the best thing PPP could do in the deliberation. (amd)