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)