Working together to promote human rights

Working together to promote human rights

Benny YP Siahaan, Jakarta

The testimony of Suciwati, widow of human rights activist
Munir, before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
(UNCHR) at its 61st session in Geneva recently has certainly
sparked public attention. In Geneva, Suciwati was accompanied by
NGO compatriots such as Raffendi Jamin and others.

I personally was also present at this session, however I did
not feel as if is was something extraordinary. Nonetheless, I was
rather struck on reading reports of this meeting in the national
press. To me, it seemed that this story was blown quite out of
proportion and could cause the public to be misled.

Although the text of the testimony seemed very sensitive, the
fact is that at the time it was being delivered it seemed as if
nobody was listening to what Suciwati was saying, not only
because her spoken English is a bit hard to understand, but also
because the environment in the session was not conducive to
conveying such testimony. Many participants in the room were
chatting or busy with each other, this being common during NGO
sessions. It's like a bazaar.

Every year UNCHR conducts sessions that deliberate 21 agenda
items, which among other things addresses human rights situations
in certain parts of the world. For each agenda item, NGOs get the
chance to deliver statements for three minutes, after which
member and observer states deliver their statements. Thus it is
true, as stated by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, that giving
testimony on the Munir case in the Commission's session is not
something extraordinary (The Jakarta Post, March 28, 2005). It is
sad to say this, but speaker's words disappear into thin air at
such meetings.

However, what was more striking was when I attended an
informal side meeting organized by a coalition of Indonesian NGOs
(Infid) during the current UNCHR session in Geneva. At that
meeting I was surprised that many of the NGO participants were
still of the view that little or nothing had changed in
Indonesia; that the current changes at the national level were
merely cosmetic.

According to one estimate, of the 13,500 NGOs registered with
the Ministry of Home Affairs, 90 percent of them are dependent on
foreign donor funding (Kompas, Jan. 13, 2003). However, this is
understandable, as it is much easier for NGOs, especially human
rights NGOs, to make funding proposals to foreign agencies rather
than to convince Indonesian people to give them donations.

Nevertheless, whatever the situation is, it is time that NGOs
change their approach in promoting and protecting human rights in
Indonesia if they really want the human rights situation here to
improve. Perhaps the reason why NGOs hold such perceptions is
that they think they are the only stakeholders involved in
promoting and protecting human rights. The question for me is,
are they aware that there are also other stakeholders, and that
they have to work together? Or maybe they just disregard the
others deliberately because they are afraid that their role and
recognition will be eroded if other stakeholders, especially from
the government side, start getting involved.

With authoritarian Soeharto regime now gone, and with many
positive reforms being made, it is now the turn of NGOs to
reflect on progress in the protection and human rights at the
national level and to work together with other national
stakeholders. Indeed, we should commend positive developments in
this regard, such as the involvement of the Institute for Policy
Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) in the preparation of the drafting
of the law on Truth and Reconciliation Commission last year.

Looking back at the Munir case, it is clear that he was a
significant campaigner for human rights deserving of great
respect. Indeed, Indonesia has lost one of its finest sons in the
field of promoting and protecting human rights. But to bring to
justice the perpetrators of his assassination is one thing;
handling his "life" after his death is another.

His death should be used as an opportunity for all
stakeholders in the field of human rights to work together more
closely to bring the perpetrators of human rights crimes to
justice.

The writer works at the directorate of human rights,
humanitarian and socio-cultural, Foreign Ministry, Jakarta. The
views expressed are strictly personal." He can be reached at
benny_siahaan2003@yahoo.com.