Rights body elects four new members
Rights body elects four new members
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights announced yesterday the four new members replacing those who have passed away.
Psychologist Saparinah Sadli, retired police general Koesparmono Irsan, former legislator from the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsudin, and former secretary general of the Ministry of Justice Muhammad Salim were elected from 32 nominees.
They will assume the posts left vacant by the late A. Hamid S. Attamimi, Ig. Djoko Moeljono, former chief justice Ali Said, and police general Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti. The four died between 1994 and 1996.
"These new members have been democratically elected in our plenary meeting today," commission member Clementino Dos Reis Amaral said yesterday.
Only last month the commission elected former religious affairs minister and respected Moslem scholar Munawir Sjadzali as its new chairman, to replace Ali Said who died last June.
Amaral said the four new members had been elected in two rounds of voting with each of the commission members naming one nominee for a vacant seat. Only commission member Asmara Nababan was absent from yesterday's meeting. The commission had 25 members when it was established by President Soeharto in 1993.
Among the 32 names nominated for the vacant posts were former justice Bismar Siregar, lawyer and women's activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, legislator Krissantono, and A.M. Fatwa, a former member of the Petisi 50 group of government critics.
The first round of voting on the 32 nominees reduced the number to 21, Amaral said. In the final round, the four names mentioned above won the most votes and were announced as the new commission members.
Saparinah and Koesparmono both won 11 votes while Samsudin won 10 votes and Muhammad Salim 9 votes.
Professor
Saparinah, 59, is a professor of psychology at the University of Indonesia's School of Psychology. She is a former assistant to the minister of women's roles, and helped found the Women's Studies Program at the university.
The scholar is almost invariably to be seen at seminars or conferences on women in many cities.
Koesparmono is formerly the National Police deputy of operations. He is now a lecturer at the Police Science College and rector of Bhayangkara Jaya University.
Samsudin is a retired two-star army general. He is a former legislator from the ABRI faction at the House of Representatives.
Yesterday's election was the first the commission has held since it was founded in June 1993 under Presidential Decree No. 50/1993. All of its original members were appointed by President Soeharto.
According to its statutes, the commission should comprise of 25 members who are Indonesian citizens with personal integrity, capability, knowledge, and a commitment to improving the nation's human rights conditions.
Over the years, the commission has earned praise from rights activists and others, for its investigations of human rights violations. Since establishment, the commission has been flooded with requests for investigations.
Last year alone the commission received 3,321 letters, 1,816 contained claims of rights violations, including land appropriation and disputes, houses demolition, labor disputes and violence.
The commission helped investigate, solve or clarify 867 cases last year, up from 572 cases in 1994.
The commission's popularity and credibility has won the hearts of the public, especially victims of oppressive acts by those in power and by powerful businesses. (08)