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Reconciliation not enough to address the painful past: Activists

Jakarta Globe - August 23, 2015

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Jakarta – Activists called for an overarching judicial approach to Indonesia's past human rights violations at conference on Friday, saying reconciliation wasn't enough to heal wounds.

"What is reconciliation exactly? It is only a term... not substantive," Kamala Chandrakirana, of the Coalition for Justice and Truth Revealing, told ucanews.com at the public discussion held in Jakarta.

She and other rights workers are encouraging the government to institute a "six-pillar framework," which includes legal recourse, truth commissions, victim support, public dialogue, education and policy initiatives to prevent future abuses.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas) has indicated seven cases of "gross human rights violations" in Indonesia's modern history. These include the 1965 anti-communist massacre, which saw half a million people killed, as well as a number of more recent extrajudicial killings of students and activists. In spite of ample documentation, there has been virtually nothing in the way of legal remedy for the victims.

Mualimin Abdi, the director general of human rights at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, said the government supported reconciliation but was unlikely to pursue the judicial elements of the suggested "six pillars."

"We can assume that past human rights violations should be addressed with reconciliation. I think this is the best," he said.

On Aug. 14, President Joko Widodo stressed that addressing human rights violations was of paramount importance.

"Right now, the government is trying to seek the wisest solution to cases of human rights violations in this country. The government wants a national reconciliation so that the next generation will no longer carry the burden of the past," he said.

But for Joko Ciptadi, who was taken to jail during the anti-communist massacres of 1965, such reconciliation is insufficient. "I was jailed when I was just 15 years old. I did not have a chance to have a proper education. Everything was gone only because I was labeled as a communist," he told ucanews.com.

Released in 1977, Ciptadi also urged the government to admit that they have committed human rights violations. "There must be an acknowledgement and an apology as well from the government. Then the government can restore our rights in all aspects – economy, social and culture," he said. "There is no justice yet."

[This story was first published by Ucanews and was edited for style by the Jakarta Globe.]

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/reconciliation-not-enough-address-painful-past-activists/.