Students criticize rights commission

SEMARANG: Some 100 students and artists from Semarang, Solo and Yogyakarta observed International Human Rights Day yesterday at the campus of the University of Diponegoro, criticizing the National Commission for Human Rights.

They lashed out at the commission for failing to carry out its duty as a human rights watchdog in the country.

What the commission has done is merely "lip service" to please the government and business people, they said.

The protesters urged the commission and human rights activists to work harder to improve the human rights condition nationwide.

Raising concerns over rampant human rights abuses by the government, they asked the authorities to stop the violations.

The protesters unfurled posters and banners saying "Human Rights is Dead", "Democracy is Dead", "Stop Abusing Human Rights", and "Don't Trample on Human Rights". (har/sim)