Rights body called to study legal products
Rights body called to study legal products
SEMARANG (JP): A leading rights activist has called on the
National Commission on Human Rights to study all legal products
which could be used to violate human rights.
Speaking at a national seminar on human rights here yesterday,
Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said that the Commission should ask
the authorities to review the laws and regulations immediately.
Though he did not elaborate on which regulations, many human
rights activists point to the Ministry of Information and its
press decree that has been used to ban newspapers and magazines.
The seminar was jointly sponsored by the National Committee of
the 50th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence, the Rights
Commission and the University of Diponegoro.
"To carry out the supervision job," Hakim said, "the
Commission should consolidate itself and set up chapters in the
provinces."
He said the Commission should also watch the behavior of the
authorities and how they implement civic rights.
"The Commission should also conduct regular observations of
human rights conditions in all provinces, especially in troubled
areas like East Timor, Aceh and Irian Jaya," Hakim said.
He said these provinces are prone to troubles due to the high
frequency of human rights violations and the absence of human
rights institutions there.
The Commission's secretary-general, Baharuddin Lopa, told the
seminar that respect of human rights is also in the interest of
the government, which is trying to protect its image at home and
abroad.
According to Baharuddin, the best way for Indonesia to counter
outside accusations of human rights violations is "to stop our
habit of violating the basic rights, and this is especially
relevant for the authorities."
Respect starts with each individual, he said. "Every
Indonesian should be able to control him or herself and not show
any attitude or take any action which could affect the basic
rights of others," Baharuddin said.
While Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said in his speech
that besides the continued efforts by the government to respect
human rights, there have been violations of the rights which were
done by state apparatus or criminals.
He said that the recent establishment of various human rights
organizations reflects a rising concern with the fate of
democracy, human rights and the environment.
Musa Hitam, the chairman of the United Nations Human Rights
Commission, said at the seminar that national development is
inseparable from democracy because both are needed to secure
human rights for each citizen.
"But no government is expected to use poverty and backwardness
as reasons to violate human rights," said Musa, who is a veteran
Malaysian politician.
The seminar will continue today with speeches by various
experts and scholars such as Nurcholish Madjid and Franz Magnis
Suseno. (har/tis)