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)