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Indonesia urged to endorse anti-involuntary disappearance bill
Jakarta Post - January 16, 2014
House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs completed deliberation of the bill last year, involving the Indonesian Military (TNI, the National Police, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) as well as civil society groups and experts, but postponed its endorsement to allow longer discussion.
Among the nine party factions in the House, the Great Indonesian Movement (Gerindra) Party and the People s Conscience Party (Hanura) were the two factions that urged the delay.
Commission I is set to make a final decision whether to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Involuntary Disappearances later next week.
In a release sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday, AFAD called for lawmakers to keep their promise to uphold human rights and speed up the long overdue vote on the endorsement.
Chairman Mugiyanto, a prodemocracy activist who was abducted during the 1998 May riots in Jakarta, cited a lack of understanding on the nature of the convention as the reason for lawmakers request for further discussion.
"We have high hopes that the legislature will decide favorably, for this will be an important gift to the nation for a common commitment that in the future no one should be subjected to forced disappearance. No more," Mugiyanto said.
Commission I chairman Mahfudz Siddiq previously told the Post that endorsement of the bill was among the commission's priority during the newly resumed House session starting Jan. 15.
To date, 21 countries have ratified the convention and 88 others have signed a commitment to do so. Indonesia signed the treaty on Sept. 27, 2010.
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