Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) who are concerned with issues of human rights are supporting the Indonesian government’s nomination as the head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on the condition that the government must first resolve cases of human rights violations which have occurred in the country.

This was taken up during a press conference on Thursday October 28 which was attended by a number of NGOs including the Indonesian NGO Coalition for International Human Right Advocacy (HRWG), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Institute for Public Research and Advocacy (Elsam), Indonesian Human Rights Monitoring, Demos, the International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID) and the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PPHI).

In a joint press release the organisations said that for Indonesia to become a member of the UN Security Council it indeed appears ambitious and unrealistic. But for it to become the head of the UN Human Rights Commission for the 61st session next year is realistic in terms of the logic of international politics.

In addition to this, in nominating itself as the head of the Human Rights Commission, Indonesia has a number of advantages going for it. One of these is because it is Asia’s turn and secondly because Indonesia is one of the countries which has the greatest chance because India and Pakistan, who have also nominated themselves, are blocked because they are in the midst of a dispute.

HRWG coordinator Rafendi Djamin said that Indonesia’s chances of winning the position of head of the Human Rights Commission are very good. Indonesia therefore must demonstrate the highest international commitment to resolving cases of human rights violations such as those which have occurred in West Papua, Aceh and East Timor. (sie/vin)

[Translated by James Balowski.]