Understanding human rights

Human rights have become part of the daily vocabulary of people at all levels of society. However, it is obvious that not everyone, including the most educated in society, have a correct understanding or a true grasp of just what is meant by human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, introduced on Dec. 10, 1948, was meant to ensure the rights of all people were protected, regardless of religion, race, nationality, ethnicity or political affiliation.

The commemoration of World Human Rights Day on Saturday should be a time to examine the extent of our sincere respect -- as a nation -- for human rights.

We can be proud of the historic peace agreement between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government that ended the decades-long conflict in Aceh.

In another positive step, proposed amendments to the antiterror law, which would put the rights of the public at large ahead of the rights of individuals, can be seen as an example of the government's improved understanding and respect for human rights.

If passed, the amendments would allow preemptive measures against suspected terrorists and anyone promoting radicalism. The antiterror law as it now stands only provides a legal basis for responsive measures to acts of terrorism.

The head of the antiterror desk at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Ansja'ad Mbai, said the current law did not give authorities room to maneuver, partly because of concerns about human rights. He said there had to be a common understanding that the nation cannot protect the rights of individuals at the expense of the rights of the public at large.

The killing of terror suspect Azahari bin Husin is proof of the government's remarkable efforts to protect the public from terrorism. However, there remain a number of past rights violations that must be addressed. The Semanggi shootings and similar cases from around the archipelago remain unresolved, part of a dark history that we must shine a light on if we hope to move forward as a nation.

More troubling, the killing of innocent people continues today. The recent bombings in Bali and the murder of students in Poso, Central Sulawesi, demonstrate that we have a long way to go to ensure the rights of all people are protected.

Past governments had very poor human rights records. This is why the government and its security forces are the usual scapegoat for any rights violations that occur in the country.

The evictions of squatters by local administrations are clear examples of the arrogance the authorities can sometimes show. But the government no longer has a monopoly on rights offenses. The Bali bombings and the Poso killings were certainly not the work of the authorities. Attacks on places of worship by so-called religious groups and the storming of police stations by mobs show a blatant disrespect for human rights. People must be made aware that taking the law into their own hands goes against the true sense of human rights. A case could be made that reckless motorists are not living up to the spirit of human rights, because their actions deny other motorists the right to use the roads safely.

All of these examples indicate that the true meaning of human rights has yet to be properly understood here.

Some people claim human rights are a Western concept, but the truth is human rights are a universal value and a fundamental right of all people.

It is time for the government to acknowledge its past shortcomings in the field human rights, so that it can lead the way into a new era marked by the protection of the rights of all people. At the same time, people must be made more aware of the need to respect the rights of others. Early education is needed for this. Teachers and parents must explain to their students and children what human rights are, how to respect them and why it is necessary to honor the rights of others.