Rights body defends stance on Maluku violence

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)