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.