Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – In the two years since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin were elected, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) notes that not one case of gross human rights violations has been resolved.
Komnas HAM Commissioner Choirul Anam believes that this fact should be of concern to the government.
"One of the most serious notes which should indeed be of concern to Pak [Mr] President Jokowi is the resolution of gross human rights violations", explained Anam at the Komnas HAM offices in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday October 19.
"To this day not one case at all, the term is, no eggs have been broken", he said.
Anam explained that the Jokowi-Ma'ruf administration is already half way through its term adding that in 2022 and 2023 the government will be busy with political matters in the lead up to the 2024 legislative and presidential elections.
So the big hope is that Widodo and Amin can resolve at least one gross human rights violation case.
"Although we have heard there are mechanisms that [the government] wants to establish, but for us [they must be resolved] through a human rights court", he asserted.
Anam is of the view that if by the end of the current administration's term not one case has been resolved through legal channels, then it would be a poor note for the government.
On the other hand, if the government can resolve a case, then the public will remember Widodo as being the president who was able to resolve a gross human rights violations case.
"This is the heaviest challenge for President Jokowi at the moment", said Anam.
Finally, Anam believes that what the administration has failed to show any political will in resolving gross human rights violations.
"The execution on the ground which is supported by politics which are more concrete is still not strong, so to this day no eggs have been broken in cases of gross human rights violations", he concluded.
Currently, there are 12 gross human rights incidents which have yet to be resolved through legal channels, namely a human rights court.
These include the 1965-1966 affair, the 1982-1985 mysterious shootings of petty criminals, the 1989 Talangsari case, the Trisaksi, Semanggi I and II student shootings in 1998-1999, the May 1998 riots, the forced disappearance of political activists in 1997-1998, the Wasior case in 2001, the Wamena case in 2003 and the killing of black magic practitioners in 1998.
The government has also not resolved the Simpang KAA case in 1999, the Jambu Keupok case in 2003, the Rumah Geudong cases over the period 1989 to 1998 and the Paniai massacre in 2014.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Dua Tahun Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin, Komnas HAM: Belum Ada Satu Pun Kasus Pelanggaran HAM Berat ‘Pecah Telur’".]
