Observers call for follow up on rights body report
Observers call for follow up on rights body report
By Sugianto Tandra
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigners and observers yesterday
made a fresh call on the government to follow up the National
Commission on Human Rights's findings on the July 27 riots.
Asmara Nababan of the commission, K.H. Ali Yafie of the Moslem
Council of Ulemas (MUI), Gustav Dupe of the Indonesian Communion
of Churches (PGI) and legislator Tarto Sudiro yesterday were
interviewed on the commission's finding that 23 people were still
missing since the riots. All agreed that the commission should
not be called on to bear the entire responsibility of improving
the country's human rights record.
Nababan said the commission could only probe allegations of
human rights violations and recommend courses for government
action. It was entirely up to the government to decide whether or
not to act on recommended advice.
He was asked whether the commission had the authority to
remind the government or ask whether it had begun a follow up on
the commission's findings on the riot.
As well as reporting on missing people, the commission said
five people had died, including one by a gunshot, and hundreds
injured in the riot that broke out after the takeover of the
disputed headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) by
one faction from another.
"The commission has a bimonthly meeting schedule with the
office of the Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security. So, the commission will surely ask the government about
whether it is following up the report," Asmara explained.
The commission had its last meeting with Coordinating Minister
for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman on Oct. 14
during which it presented its findings to Soesilo. The government
then promised to follow up the findings.
"But I would like to make one thing clear. It should not be
the exclusive duty of the commission to ask or remind the
government," he pointed out. "Every actor in our society -
including ulemas, church leaders, legislators, and the press to
mention only a few - should help keep this issue alive in public
discourse," he said.
These social actors should take part in pressing the
government to speed up the pace of following up the report, by
publicly showing their concern, Nababan said.
Gustav agreed. "We urge the government to take action and
follow up the commission's report on the July 27 riots," said
Gustav.
He said it was important to keep cases from disappearing from
public discourse. "We are all responsible for keeping the issue
alive. Otherwise, cases like this would disappear and be
forgotten."
Ulema Ali Yafie said: "We should think positively, think that
the government is working hard to uphold the law, and will
process the case thoroughly."
He agreed, however, that the government should speed up the
process and that everybody had the right to remind the government
to work even faster.
Tarto, from the PDI faction, was more pessimistic. "I think it
has been too hard already for the government to follow up the
report," Tarto said.
The four, interviewed separately, agreed that a law should be
made to give the Commission firmer ground, so it could do more
than just investigation and recommendation.