No decree on rights: Assembly

Sat, 10 Jan 1998, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

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)

View JSON | Print