Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid says that over the four years that he has been in office, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has taken no significant steps to fulfill his pledge to solve past human rights violations.
The dossiers of cases investigated by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) are invariably returned by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the party authorised to conduct criminal investigations and prosecutions. Incomplete evidence is the reason frequently given for why the dossiers are returned and cases unresolved.
“Specifically in the case of past gross human rights violations, not one case has been resolved. So with the many dynamics between Komnas HAM and the AGO, sending the case dossiers back and forth, there has been absolutely no progress whatsoever”, said Hamid speaking at a Kamisan (Thursday Action) in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday October 18.
Suring the 2014 presidential election campaign, Widodo made a commitment to resolve past human rights violations and put an end to impunity. This commitment was embodied in his vision, mission and action program known as Nawa Cita.
One of the items in the nine point priority program Nawa Cita was a pledge to prioritise finding a just solution to past human rights cases.
Widodo specifically made a commitment to solve eight past human rights cases which were referred to as having become a political and social burden.
He eight cases were the May 1, 1998 riots in Jakarta, the Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II student shootings in 1998, the forced disappearances of political activists in 1997-98, the 1989 Talangsari massacre, the Tanjung Priok shooting of Muslim protesters in 1984 and the 1965 anti-communist purge.
“[But] the perpetrators of these human rights [crimes] have declared their support for Jokowi. That is why these cases of gross human rights violations have ended in a big zero”, said Hamid.
Speaking separately, Komnas HAM commissioner Sandrayati Moniaga said that the commission has already completed the investigation reports into the eight human rights violation cases.
Based on Law Number 26/2000 on a Human Rights Court, the investigation reports on these cases should be taken to the criminal investigation and prosecution stage under the authority of the AGO.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was ‘Tak Ada Satu Pun Kasus Pelanggaran HAM Masa Lalu yang Diselesaikan Presiden Jokowi’.]
