Rights body stands up to government

SALATIGA, C. Java (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights asserted its independence and challenged the government to dissolve it if its recommendations on rights violation cases were left unheeded.

"I reiterate that the commission cannot be dictated, controlled nor ordered by the government. The commission remains independent and will remain so for as long as I am still in the commission," commission secretary-general Baharuddin Lopa said in a speech before students of Satya Wacana Christian University yesterday.

Lopa warned any parties against attempts to influence the commission's work, namely drawing up recommendations on course of actions to be taken over allegations of human rights violations. The recommendations were usually submitted to the government and other institutions.

The commission, established by a presidential decree in 1993, shot to prominence and won even greater public admiration after its independent report and recommendation over Jakarta's bloody riot on July 27 last year.

In its report, the body accused security personnel of being behind the forced takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) headquarters, under control of Megawati Soekarnoputri, by supporters of government-backed PDI chairman Soerjadi.

Megawati was ousted by Soerjadi as chairperson in a government-backed breakaway congress in Medan, North Sumatra, in June last year.

The commission then demanded the government to probe further into the violence that left five people dead and 23 others missing.

The government, however, announced last month that it halted the investigation into the riot, saying that all efforts were exerted but found no new developments.

The commission, on several occasions after the government's controversial announcement, said it would question the government over the statement in its routine meeting with the office of the coordinating minister for political affairs and security next week.

"If there were any recommendations from the commission that upset the government, then just fire me," Lopa said.

He acknowledged, however, that the commission actually did not have any power to solve the many alleged human rights abuses.

Lopa's colleague, Soetandyo Wignyosoebroto, also said at a different seminar at Sultan Agung Islamic University in Semarang on Wednesday, that the commission remained independent and could not be influenced by any party.

"All commission members are people of high integrity who uphold truth and justice. They are not appointed by the government, but through the commission's own deliberation," Soetandyo said. (har/aan)