Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – The spokesperson for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s election campaign team, Arya Sinulingga, claims that over the last four years of the Widodo administration the government has sided strongly with and provided a place for the fulfillment of human rights.
Sinulingga said this in response a statement by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) which said the government has provided no place for human rights in 2018.
“In fact over the four years that Jokowi has been in power the president has actually thought a lot about fulfilling the basic rights of the Indonesian people and much has been done by Jokowi”, said Sinulingga at Cemara House in the Menteng area of Central Jakarta on Monday December 10.
The Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo) politician then cited the Indonesia Smart Card, the Indonesia Health Card and the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) as examples of Widodo’s successes in the field of human rights.
He said that the two programs represent an effort by Widodo to ensure that the public had access to healthcare and education services over the four years of his administration.
Not only that, he then cited the land certificate distribution program and massive infrastructure development as evidence that Widodo sides with human rights. “So this is how to uphold the basic rights of people to access this part of their lives”, he said.
On the other hand, Sinulingga also asserted that Widodo is not burdened by past human rights cases during the time he has been in office. He then made insinuations about the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno presidential campaign team which has “attacked” Widodo on human rights.
As has been reported, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker and secretary general of Prabowo’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Fadli Zon, said that there has been no progress in upholding human rights during the Widodo administration.
Yet, continued Sinulingga, the Prabowo-Sandiaga camp should be ashamed and avoid throwing such criticisms at Widodo.
“They should look in the mirror. Pak [Mr] Jokowi does not have past issues related to human rights violations. Not even the slightest, it’s as if one side of you knows this, like if you hit the water it will splash on your own face”, he said. (rzr/dea)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Timses Klaim Jokowi Pikirkan Pemenuhan HAM Selama Menjabat”.]
