Human Rights Trials in Aceh Approved

Human Rights Trials in Aceh Approved

TEMPO Interactive

Friday, May 19, 2006



Jakarta: The majority of factions in the Special Committee for the Aceh Government Draft Bill have approved the establishment of a human rights court in Aceh, one a year after the state decree was enacted.



The settlement of human rights problems, according to Ahmad Farhan Hamid, a member of the Special Committee from the National Mandate Party, must be implemented equally, including in Aceh.



The reason for this is that human rights violations in Aceh can already be categorized as the most urgent.



“This is because in Aceh, there were sexual assaults, rapes, murders and torture,” he said during the meeting led by Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, Head of the Special Committee, yesterday (17/5).



Similar opinions were voiced by Muhammad Fauzi from the Democracy Pioneer Star Party (PBPD) faction, Marzuki Darusman from the Golkar party faction and Mahfudz Siddiq from the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) faction.



“With transparent human rights trials, reconciliation in Aceh will run well,” said Fauzi.



Marzuki suggested that human rights trials in Aceh should be retro-passive or retroactive.



Benny K. Harman from the Democratic Party faction and Nursyahbani Katjasungkana from the National Awakening Party faction accused the central government of being responsible for all the incidents in Aceh carried out by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri).



The central government, said Nursyahbani, issued unfair policies that resulted in victims.



However, Sidharto Danusubroto, a member of the Special Committee from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, proposed something different.



Sidharto is of the opinion that after the law be enacted, pardons could be granted for all human rights violations committed by the TNI and Polri without going to trial.



In response to all this, Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Ma'ruf said that human rights violations in Aceh were not institutional measures.



The central government, he said, had never issued any policies allowing actions that could result in victims.



“It was done by thugs,” said the former ABRI (Indonesian Armed Forces-now TNI) Social and Political Chief of Staff.



He requested all the incidents be retracted for reference so that they will not be repeated.



“And not only for Aceh,” said Ma'ruf. (Wahyudin Fahmi/18 May, 2006)

 Djoko Y