human rights defenders testimonies

THE JAKARTA POST, 8 June 2007
UN rep hears RI human rights defenders testimonies

Several Indonesian human rights activists delivered five-minute reports on their work at a public hearing with a special UN representative in the hope of receiving greater protection and attention from the world body.

Receiving the reports was Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani.

Asiah, a human rights defender from the Aceh office of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, said that during the 1989-2005 military operation in Aceh, seven human rights defenders were imprisoned, 150 were tortured, 25 were arrested, 20 were intimidated and 30 female human rights defenders were sexually harassed.

"Of all the violence cases, only two were handled by the police, but were stopped at the investigation level," Asiah said Thursday during the public hearing.

During her report she recounted a case in which three human rights volunteers had been murdered, reiterating that the matter remains unsolved despite the chronology of events and the identity of the murderer being known.

"The government and officials often say that our work and our data are bogus. We also see a shifting pattern from physical threats to psychological intimidation," she said.

Kusnul Hidayati, a defender from Yogyakarta who focuses on helping victims of the 1965 tragedy, said she has faced intimidation and stigma because of her work.

"My parents banished me from their house because they couldn't accept my activities. My mother thinks I'm a whore because she heard that female human rights defenders usually have a free-sex life," said the 33-year-old single woman.

The coordinator of Indonesian NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy, Rafendi Djamin, said the state should be responsible for protecting human rights activists, but that Indonesia had no such protection mechanisms.

"The government must comprehend that human rights activists can be anyone, such as lawyers, teachers and journalists, and the government should protect them as defenders of human rights," Rafendi said.

He added that the unsolved case of murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib is still of grave concern.

"There will be talks, open and closed, on this subject, especially about the government's efforts over the last two years and the political obstacles," he said.

"Mrs. Jilani is also giving special attention to the Munir case. She wants to know about this case first hand. If there are political obstacles, she can help initiate a political breakthrough."

Rafendi said that Jilani would report on the results of her visit at a 2008 UN Human Rights Council meeting. He added that the report would cover the meeting with the Indonesian human rights activists and officials and include a comparative study of the meetings and recommendations to the council.

"This could apply the pressure we need in the international forum because Indonesia is a member of the UN Human Rights Council. Indonesia must show consistency and be cooperative about international recommendations," he said.

Jilani said she had noticed changes in Indonesia, such as the establishment of democratic institutions, since the 1998 reforms, adding that these changes must be kept in motion to allow Indonesians to benefit from the reformation.

"I hope I will be able to identify the issues, make assessments and give recommendations for better human rights in Indonesia," she said. (14)