Rights body urged to form regional chapters

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A candidate for the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), H.S. Dillon, expressed hope on Wednesday that in the future the government would establish commission chapters in the provinces to increase awareness of human rights.

"Commission chapters in provinces are badly needed to improve our appreciation for the issue," Dillon said following a hearing with House of Representatives Commission II for legal affairs and human rights.

Dillon is among the 41 candidates for membership on the commission expected to attend the hearings, which will end on Thursday.

Another candidate, Soegiri, emphasized that apart from a strong human rights commission, the nation was also in need of a truth and reconciliation commission to address and resolve human rights abuses.

Soegiri, a former chairman of the military/police faction in the House, said human rights abuses posed a serious threat to national integrity.

The establishment of a truth commission, he said, could help prevent disintegration.

"We can forgive past abuses, but we must not forget them," he said.

During the hearing, the candidates presented their views on human rights to members of the House commission. Legislators asked the candidates different questions, including about their personal wealth and the reasons they were seeking membership on the rights commission.

Asked about property he owned in Medan, North Sumatra, Dillon said he was the son of a successful businessman and therefore could afford to buy properties.

Both Dillon and Soegiri have previously served on Komnas HAM and are seeking to rejoin the commission.

A total of 10 old members of the commission had hoped to reunite in the new commission lineup, but Aisyah Aminy and Bambang W. Soeharto reportedly withdrew their candidacies.

Komnas HAM has in the past been publicly criticized for failing to perform up to the ideals of the commission.

Meanwhile, House Commission II member Akil Mochtar said legislators would use a scoring system to rate the candidates in the ongoing assessment process.

He said the legislators had worked out a set of standards to evaluate the candidates. Of the 41 candidates, the legislators will select 35 for Komnas HAM, as stipulated in Law No. 39/1999 on human rights.