Support looms for human rights decree
Support looms for human rights decree
JAKARTA (JP): Deputy chairman of the National Commission on
Human Rights Marzuki Darusman suggested yesterday that the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) establish a decree on human
rights promotion in response to global demands.
Marzuki said the decree would give the international community
strong evidence Indonesia affiliates itself with the
international rules of the game, which includes the adherence to
certain economic norms and an open market.
"The issue of human rights deals not only with political
freedom, but economic activities as well," Marzuki said after a
discussion held by the association of journalists posted at the
House of Representatives.
"They (human rights) recognize the right to business, the
right to contract, the right to own, in addition to the right to
form a trade union and the right to speak one's mind," he said.
Marzuki said the world market always took human rights issues
into account, because the issues correlated with the quality of
the economic system in a certain country.
"The better the government manages and guarantees human rights
protection, the more stable economic processes and investment in
a country will be," Marzuki said.
The discussion featured Marzuki and House legislator Abu Hasan
Sadzili of Golkar. They reviewed a book titled Major Instruments
of Human Rights edited by Adnan Buyung Nasution.
However, Marzuki said that in terms of the current political
situation, it was not important whether human rights promotion
was established through a special, powerful MPR decree or defined
as a development objective in the state policy guidelines.
"Let's think of the outcome, instead. Whatever the form of the
campaign for human rights promotion, it should guarantee
enforcement of human rights principles," Marzuki said.
He said if the MPR eventually adopts a charter for the
promotion of human rights as one of the state policies, it does
not mean that the human rights promotion campaign would be weaker
than if the body established a special Indonesian bill of rights
by decree.
The National Security and Defense Council submitted a draft
human rights charter to all of the five factions in the Assembly
early this month. The council suggested that the Assembly
establish the charter as a decree.
The dominant faction Golkar and the Armed Forces rejected the
proposal last week, while the United Development Party and the
Indonesian Democratic Party threw their weight behind the notion.
The regional representatives faction has yet to reveal their
stance.
Golkar legislator Sadzili said he would not care about the
Assembly's decision on human rights promotion as long as it
enabled the government to issue strict laws that guarantee human
rights.
"Human rights promotion should not rest on legal products.
What's more important is how the principles apply in society,"
Sadzili said. (amd)