Rights body urged to form regional chapters

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.