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House slams Komnas HAM for 'incompetence'
Jakarta Post - February 5, 2015
House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law and human rights said that the rights body had been impartial on a number of issues including the arrest of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Bambang Widjonanto by the National Police, as well as its probe into the death of prominent rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib and its declaration that the Lapindo mudflow disaster constituted a rights abuse.
"You have become too political. I just realized that politics involves not only political parties but also Komnas HAM as well as non-governmental organizations," lawmaker Daeng Muhammad of the National Mandate Party (PAN) told Komnas HAM commissioners in a meeting on Wednesday.
Daeng further blasted Komnas HAM's overall performance, attacking the institution's international standing as "useless".
"Prove that you are reliable in handling domestic affairs first before parading the A-status accreditation granted to you by the PBB [United Nations]," he said.
Komnas HAM secured the 'A-status' accreditation from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2000 for its work in promoting human rights in Indonesia, granting the rights body enhanced access to the UN's human rights bodies.
While the majority of Commission III lawmakers shared Daeng's judgement of Komnas HAM's objectivity in handling cases, others have criticized its numerous endeavors including its probe on the death of Munir.
"What are you targeting by pursuing the so-called mastermind of Munir's murder when the legal process has been finalized as the murderer was already sentenced?" lawmaker Junimart Girsang of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said, referring to former Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto.
Pollycarpus, who was convicted for poisoning Munir when the latter was onboard a flight to the Netherlands, was recently released on parole. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the murder. Komnas HAM has called for a fresh investigation into the murder of Munir.
Responding to the criticism, Komnas HAM chairman Hafid Abbas said that the institution's mandate was to fight for the rights of victims of human rights violations. "In doing that, we are objective and reliable," Hafid said.
With regard to the institution's compliance with the UN's human rights principles, Hafid told lawmakers that Komnas HAM would continue to comply unless the government instructed otherwise. "We will stop complying with the UN's principles if the government orders us to leave the UN," he said.
Meanwhile, in a separate hearing, Commission III held a session to dig deeper into the alleged abuse of power by KPK chairman Abraham Samad. On Wednesday, Commission III summoned Zainal Tahir, who described himself as Abraham's friend since 1996.
In the hearing, Zainal insisted that a photo depicting Abraham in a compromising position with a woman in bed was his work. He said that the photo was taken when the three shared a moment at the Clarion Hotel in Makassar, South Sulawesi, eight years ago.
Besides Zainal, Commission III also summoned PDI-P acting secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto to the meeting to further explain his previous controversial announcement over a "secret" meeting with Abraham, which was released to the public amid escalating tension between the KPK and the National Police.
Hasto provided more details regarding the matter, including that in addition to such a meeting, Abraham had conducted several other meetings with figures who were affiliated with the PDI-P, including former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono, who is known to have close ties with PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the wife of Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/05/house-slams-komnas-ham-incompetence.html.
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