Response to U.S. rights report a must: Marzuki
Response to U.S. rights report a must: Marzuki
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government must explain its human
rights policy and its implementation to the United States, a
leading human right campaigner said yesterday.
Marzuki Darusman, vice chairman of the National Commission on
Human Rights, said Indonesia should respond to a recent report by
the U.S. State Department criticizing the government's human
rights record and policy.
Indonesia could no longer simply dismiss such reports as
interference in the country's domestic affairs, Marzuki said.
"That kind of statement wouldn't solve the problem," he told
reporters.
In its annual human rights report last week, the U.S. State
Department said that "despite a surface adherence to democratic
forms, the Indonesian political system remains strongly
authoritarian."
The report said Indonesia's judiciary was effectively
subordinated to the executive and the military and suffers from
corruption.
The Indonesian government has not responded to the report.
Marzuki said human rights has become an international concern
that Indonesia could not afford to ignore or simply be defensive
about.
The government must give a clear and credible explanation of
the human rights situation to foreign countries, he said.
"The most important thing is that the government must
demonstrate a clear commitment that it would do everything in its
power to handle all human rights violations here," he said.
He warned that if the government chose to ignore the report,
it could be interpreted abroad as acceptance of the allegations
contained therein. "The world would also think that Indonesia is
having difficulties denying the allegations," he added.
Marzuki urged the government to take necessary steps to
minimize the impact the report might have on Indonesia.
"We cannot deny that the report will affect the perception
foreign countries have of the human rights situation here.
"The report could be widely circulated in many international
non-governmental organizations, diplomatic corps and the United
Nations bodies," he said .
The government should also clarify the report's accuracy,
Marzuki said, recalling that the commission had found
inaccuracies in previous State Department reports.
The latest report comes as U.S. President Bill Clinton is
seeking Congressional support for his administration's decision
to support an International Monetary Fund (IMF) rescue plan for
Indonesia and other Asian states hit by financial turmoil.
Many members of Congress have criticized the policy saying the
United States should not be involved in the IMF rescue.
Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott took preemptive aim
at such criticism Friday, telling a news conference that strong
U.S. support for IMF bailouts in Asia would foster greater
openness and transparency.
Washington has pledged but not yet released $3 billion for the
IMF-led $43 billion rescue package for Indonesia.
Indonesia has been a close ally of the United States since the
late-1960s, but ties have frayed since the end of the Cold War,
especially after a shooting incident in East Timor in 1991. (byg)