'Rights activists must be active, or resign'

'Rights activists must be active, or resign'

JAKARTA (JP): Inactive members of the National Commission on
Human Rights, which has become the popular venue for the
oppressed to air their grievances, have been called on to resign.

The call came from Muladi, a senior member of the commission
the government established in 1993.

"It is better to resign than be constantly reprimanded, isn't
it?," Muladi said.

He was referring to Hasan Basri, the chairman of the
influential Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) who recently resigned
from his position at the commission.

Hasan told The Jakarta Post that he resigned because he was
overwhelmed by the job he was supposed to do as a commission
member.

"The issues brought to the commission are just too difficult
and I did not feel capable of solving them," Hasan said.

Muladi said the commission needed people with strong
commitment and motivation. But he opposed the idea of regulating
commission members' activities as suggested by his fellow
activist, Bambang Soeharto.

Soeharto also proposed forming a special team to assess the
performance of commission members.

"I'd rather see everything informal in this commission. We can
discuss anything with Pak (Mr.) Lopa," Muladi said. Baharuddin
Lopa is the commission's secretary-general.

A plenary meeting scheduled for Dec. 2 will elect four members
to replace members who have died: former chairman Ali Said, A.
Hamid Attamimi, Ign. Djoko Moeljono and Roekmini Koesoemo
Astoeti. The commission currently has 21 members. (14)