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.