| Subject: Indo rights groups urge gov't
cooperate with Commission of Experts
I N D O L E F T - News service
Rights groups urge government to cooperate with Commission of Experts
Kompas - April 14, 2005
Jakarta - Indonesian non-government human rights organizations have
asked the government to cooperate with the United Nations' Commission of
Experts. This cooperation should be directed towards providing visas to
the commission so that they can enter Indonesia and provide access for
them to hold discussions with the Attorney General, the Supreme Court, the
Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal on East Timor and human rights groups.
This statement was conveyed by the coordinator of the Human Rights
Working Group, Rafendi Djamin, the executive director of the Institute for
Public Research and Advocacy (Elsam), the chairperson of the Indonesian
Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Johnson Panjaitan, and the
secretary-general of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras), Mufty Al Makarim, on Wednesday April 13 in Jakarta.
According to Djamin, it is reasonable to question Indonesia's attitude
towards the commission. The East Timorese government demonstrated a
cooperative attitude by providing access to the three members of the
commission when they were in East Timor between April 3-9.
On April 9 a number of Indonesian human rights organisation activists
met with the commission in East Timor. From these meetings they obtained
the information that the commission planned to visit Indonesia between
April 11-18 but their visa applications were rejected by the government.
"They only got a one-day transit visa dated April 10. Because of
this, they returned directly to Geneva. However, they are still trying to
apply for a visa for a second time so that they can come to
Indonesia", said Djamin.
When he was attending a session of the UN's Human Rights Commission in
Geneva, Djamin was able to raise the question with Indonesia's permanent
deputy-representative in Geneva, Edy Haryadi, who explained that although
the Commission of Experts was only given transit visas there is a
possibility that they would be given a visa on arrival.
The Indonesian government's refusal to work with the commission not
only damages Indonesia's image but also damages groups in other countries
trying to improve the mechanisms to protect and uphold human rights.
When contacted by Kompas yesterday, Indonesian foreign affairs
spokesperson Yuri Thamrin said that for the moment the government had
given them transit visas. Meanwhile for a visa to enter Indonesia,
consideration is still be given to the timing because the issue of the
Commission of Experts' visit to Indonesia is actually more basic.
"Our position is clear. First give the Truth and Friendship
Commission a chance [to do its] work because its members have only just
been chosen. Plus [we see] the arrival of the Commission of Experts in
Indonesia as a preemptive act", said Thamrin. (SON/LUK)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
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The INDOLEFT news service is produced by the Indonesian Centre for
Reform and Social Emancipation (INCREASE) and Action in Solidarity with
Asia and the Pacific.
INDOLEFT News Service Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII No. 6A Jakarta Selatan
12820 Indonesia Phone: 6221 830 7235 E-mail: jamesbalowski@yahoo.com
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