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New AGO 'must try past rights abuses'

Jakarta Post - November 3, 2014

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Activists strongly reject 'rights abusers' as candidates – Jakarta Post. October 25, 201
Attempt to form rights task force blocked – Jakarta Post. September 16, 2014

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Human rights activists on Sunday renewed calls for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to appoint as attorney-general only a candidate who is bold and shows commitment to human rights, saying that it was time for the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) to focus on solving past human rights abuse cases.

As of Sunday, Jokowi had yet to announce the new attorney-general. Contrary to the tradition of his predecessors, Jokowi kept the post of attorney-general empty when naming the rest of the Cabinet.

Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said that given the office's authority, the attorney-general was the last hope for investigating past human rights abuses.

"To solve these past human rights abuse cases is the biggest task for the next attorney-general. It's not all about eradicating corruption," Hendardi said on Sunday.

The 2000 law on human rights trials allows the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to follow up reports of alleged gross human rights abuses and to conduct a preliminary investigation, but gives the authority to investigate and prosecute those cases to the attorney-general.

The law also stipulates that an ad hoc human rights court can be set up by a recommendation from the House of Representatives and a decree by the president after obtaining investigation results from both Komnas HAM and the attorney-general. Hendardi lamented that several investigations were currently stalled at the AGO.

The list of gross human rights violations includes the 1998 May riots, the massacres of 1965-1966, the 1989 Talangsari massacre, a number of mysterious shootings in the 1980s, the Trisakti University shootings, the Semanggi I and Semanggi II shootings and the murder of activist Munir Said Thalib.

Haris Azhar, from human rights NGO the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said Jokowi should consider three criteria when choosing the new attorney-general: the courage to make progress in handling past human rights cases, good understanding of human rights and experience.

"The new attorney-general should meet these three requirements because it is time for the attorney-general to focus on solving human rights cases," Haris said. "Justice delayed is justice denied. The next attorney-general should have the courage to follow up recommendations on the unresolved cases."

Several figures have been tipped for the attorney-general post, including two names from within the AGO: deputy-attorney general Andhi Nirwanto and junior attorney-general for special crimes Widyo Pramono.

Outsider candidates include Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) chief Muhammad Yusuf, former law and human rights minister Hamid Awaluddin and former judicial mafia taskforce member Mas Achmad Santosa.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/03/new-ago-must-try-past-rights-abuses.html.