PMI calls for a law to safeguard its workers
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) called on the government on Monday to draft a law which would protect the safety of its workers, particularly when working in hazardous areas.
PMI Chairman Jusuf Talib said recent events in troubled regions throughout the country, such as Aceh, had shown that the role of the red cross is often not respected by the conflicting parties.
PMI workers were often subjected to direct attacks, he said adding that this was a direct violation of international conventions.
"Most of the time we cannot guarantee our workers' safety from either the soldiers or the general public in the field," Jusuf said during the organization's national conference here.
Jusuf said that two red cross members recently died in Aceh. What was even more alarming was the fact that PMI's Aceh chapter's office in the northern part of the province was attacked by Indonesian soldiers.
He conceded that accidents could happen during firefights, and that casualties may result from crossfire given the chaos in such a situation.
"However, I cannot understand the storming of the PMI office. How can the soldiers disregard or miss our red cross sign?," he demanded.
Jusuf asserted that by adopting a stronger legal basis, there would be better protection for red cross workers in the field. This way people would know that it was illegal to harm or impede the work of the red cross, he argued.
One problem may be the general ignorance of the significance of the red cross insignia as there are certain international rules which must be adhered to when anyone sees that symbol.
"People, especially soldiers, should know the regulations when the red cross signs are seen," Jusuf added.
Referring to the image of PMI, Jusuf admitted that it was not easy for PMI to maintain its three principles of independency, impartiality and neutrality as they were highly dependent on government funds for their work.
"We often turn into the government's tool," he confessed.
Therefore it is crucial for PMI to seek alternative sources of funding. Jusuf suggested that one way to do this was for the organization to purchase company shares or even partake in running a separate profit-oriented company.
The Jakarta representative of the International Commission for the Red Cross (ICRC), Toni Pfanner, in his address at the opening of the conference on Sunday stressed the importance of the red cross' principles, noting that it was these very principles which distinguished the organization from others in the humanitarian arena.
"It's crucial that the red cross is strengthened and reinforces its profile and its actions," Tony said.
Noting the recent changes in Indonesia, he pointed to the need for a solid and professional red cross organization. "PMI should answer the challenge and ICRC believes that it can," he added. (04)