Police, TNI officials urged to uphold rights

Police, TNI officials urged to uphold rights

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While military and police officials continue to defy the
summonses issued by the Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights
Violations (KPP HAM), legal and political observers are calling
for the officials' commitment to upholding human rights.

"The forthcoming human rights tribunal is the first in the
country and is awaited with much anticipation by both Indonesians
and the international community. The military and police
officials should display their good intentions in upholding the
law and human rights," Ahmad Ali, former advisor to the late
attorney general Baharuddin Lopa, said on Sunday.

Ahmad, who is now a law lecturer at Makassar-based Hassanuddin
University in South Sulawesi, also called on KPP HAM, the
military and police to iron out their differences on procedures
and technicalities and focus on the substance of the problem.

"This process is much awaited by Indonesians and the
international community.. all of us are eager to see that
Indonesia is willing to uphold human rights," Ali told The
Jakarta Post.

Political analyst from the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) Kusnanto Anggoro said on Sunday that
the military should refrain from using technicalities to evade
the summons as it would only soil their already battered image.

"The military is now in need of changing their tainted
image... can't they just attend the summons, and if later they
are proven to be not guilty than that would be another issue," he
said on Sunday.

KPP HAM was formed by the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM) on Aug. 27 last year to investigate possible human
rights violations in the Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II
fatal shootings.

The commission has summoned military and police generals
believed to be responsible for the shootings, but up until now
they have consistently refused to comply with the summonses,
alleging that KPP HAM was illegal as it was not stipulated in Law
No. 26/2000 on human rights tribunals.

Central Jakarta District Court, upon KPP HAM's request, issued
a ruling on Thursday recognizing KPP HAM's legality, and its
subpoena rights, but refused to summon by force the generals on
the grounds that summonses the commission sent earlier were
flawed as they did not cite the individuals' proper addresses,
titles and institutions.

Despite the ruling, the generals, including former military
chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, have said that they would resist any
future summonses.

Komnas HAM's Asmara Nababan said the commission would rectify
the summonses, which would be sent by KPP HAM after its working
period was extended.

"We will fulfill the technicalities, and the next summonses
will be addressed both to their respective institutions and the
individuals," Asmara said.

Komnas HAM will meet KPP HAM on Monday to discuss the
extension of the commission's working period.

KPP HAM member Usman Hamid told The Jakarta Post on Sunday
that they would re-summon the officers, although its
effectiveness would also depend on military and police
willingness to relent on its internal mechanism.

The TNI and police have a policy that refuses to allow their
officers to appear for questioning.

"As long as the (TNI and police) headquarters continue with
this institutional policy, the summoning process will be
difficult," Usman said.