Human Rights Mainstreaming

The issue of human rights has again become a hot topic of discussion in the media. The government has asked all policies to be used to promote human rights.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Photos on display in the Kendal Tunnel, Dukuh Atas, Jakarta, Monday (5/12/2022). The exhibition in commemoration of World Human Rights Day 2022 was attended by seven photographers coordinated by Indonesian Photo Journal.

The discourse about human rights (HAM) always appears at the commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10. After that, the issue of human rights disappears. The commemoration of this year's Universal Declaration of Human Rights is contradictory to the uncertain world situation such as the Russian-Ukrainian war and threat of a setback to democracy and civil liberties in a number of countries, including Indonesia.

In his remarks during the commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin invited all parties to put every policy in the context of promoting human rights, respecting human rights and protecting human rights, which the government has always been committed to.

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We underline the Vice President's statement. Indeed, it is the government's task to protect the human rights of its citizens. It is the government's constitutional duty to protect all its citizens.

We encourage the Vice President's statement to be used as a guideline for state administrators at the central or regional levels. State administrators who ignore the human rights of their citizens, for example regarding the constitutionally guaranteed right to worship, must be reprimanded. The central government must enforce its authority in action. Regional regulations that deviate from human rights principles must be corrected.

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin gave remarks at the commemoration of World Human Rights Day in Jakarta, Monday (12/12/2022).

The commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Human Rights Day in this nation was like being under a cloudy sky. The issue of past human rights violations still has not been resolved. The handling of cases of human rights violations in Paniai, Papua, in 2014, for example, led to the acquittal of the accused by a panel of judges at the Makassar District Court. The cases of past human rights violations that were promised to be resolved through the Nawacita Document have not been realized until now.

The passing of the Draft Criminal Code (KUHP) by the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government on Dec. 6, 2022, is believed by a number of human rights activists to hamper efforts in resolving cases of past human rights violations. In addition to the matter of differences in the penalty for genocide that is highlighted in the Criminal Code compared to Law Number 26 of 2000 on Human Rights, there is also the issue of expiration.

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The Human Rights Law does not recognize expiration, but the Criminal Code introduces an expiration date. This condition will make it difficult to resolve cases of past human rights violations that could perpetuate impunity.

Respect for human rights is the basic principle of democracy. When procedural democracy works on behalf of political power but ignores the people, it buries human rights issues. It is the same as democracy digging its own grave. And that is a hazard warning.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi