Rights body defends stance on Maluku violence

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas- Ham) defended on Wednesday its decision not to send a mission to strife-torn Maluku, saying an investigation was impossible to carry out while clashes raged unabated.

A member of the rights body, H.S. Dillon, said the commission was deeply concerned over the prolonged conflict that had claimed hundreds of lives, but its escalation had prevented the body from dispatching a humanitarian delegation.

"The rights body will only be able to function after the situation is under control, because one of our duties is to investigate human rights violations," Dillon said.

He was responding to mounting calls for the body's dissolution for its alleged double standards. Critics say the commission pays too much attention to atrocities in East Timor, which has already separated from Indonesia, but fails to act on violence in the Maluku islands.

Dillon claimed that the commission was the first to recommend President Abdurrahman Wahid to immediately send a peace keeping mission to Maluku.

"We can go there along with the peace keeping mission," he said.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa added pressure on the commission to send a fact finding team to the two Maluku provinces but opposed the idea of disbanding the rights body.

"The conflict won't be settled with the dissolution of the commission. It's better for us to mount calls for an investigation into rights abuses in Maluku," Fatwa told a delegation of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) here.

MUI, led by its chairman Amidhan, urged the government to disband the rights body for its discriminative treatment in handling human rights violations in the country.

He also called on the House to use its legislative rights to make a law on religious harmony to avoid sectarian violence.

Astrid Susanto, who accompanied Fatwa in the meeting, called on all sides outside the two provinces not to seek political benefits from the conflict.

"All sides should exercise their patience and help create a conducive climate for a peaceful solution. Any political motives will spread the conflict to other provinces," Astrid, also a professor of mass communication at the University of Indonesia, said.

In another development, hundreds of Muslim youths grouped under the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI), staged a demonstration at the House compound to protest the rights body's ignorance of the bloodshed in Maluku.

The protesters demanded the government set up a new and independent rights commission.

Chairperson

The rights body is slated on Friday to elect its new chairman, replacing Marzuki Darusman who has been appointed the attorney general.

Dillon favored Saparinah Sadli, hailing her as a true human rights fighter and a figure who was capable of leading the body to its goals.

"She is good at gender issues and other related cases. Some may not regard those as spectacular cases, but we need to fight for them in the future," Dillon said.

Saparinah, wife of former minister Mohamad Sadli, is a senior lecturer at the University of Indonesia. Dillon predicted she would compete with Joko Sugianto, a former deputy chief of the Supreme Court.

When contacted separately, Saparinah refused to comment on her nomination, disclosing her preference for Joko instead.

"I heard so but it's better if it's not me, I think Pak Joko fits the bill for the position," she said.

Saparinah described the low-profile Joko as the right person to head the body because he was more senior at the commission.

Joko however, could not be reached for comment.

The commission was established in 1993 by former president Soeharto. Observers have praised the rights body for its critical assessment on cases ranging from land disputes to human rights violations by the military, despite initial skepticism from human rights activists.

During Friday's meeting, the rights body members were also scheduled to vote for a new secretary general to replace Clementino dos reis Amaral.

Dillon disclosed that Asmara Nababan was likely to take the position as he was the sole nominee.

Asmara declined to comment, saying "It is still too early to speculate on the matter."

He said there was controversy among the commission members on the criteria for the secretary general, who, according to the newly endorsed Law No. 39/1999 on the National Commission on Human Rights, must be a civil servant with extensive activities in human rights campaigning and promotion.

The commission's statute stipulates that a candidate for the secretary general role should be a commission member. (01/emf/rms)