Corruption Eradication Efforts Are Considered Getting Worse

Efforts to eradicate corruption are considered to have decreased after the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Upaya Pemberantasan Korupsi Dinilai Semakin Buruk

Staff member of PT INTI, Taswin Nur, is wearing a detainee vest after undergoing an examination related to the corruption case arrest operation at PT Angkasa Pura II, at KPK Building, Jakarta, Friday (2/8/2019).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesia Corruption Watch or ICW assesses that efforts to eradicate corruption in the era of Joko Widodo's administration are increasingly "sluggish" or worse. This condition is exacerbated by the involvement of public officials in corruption cases.

ICW Coordinator Agus Sunaryanto stated that the situation of anti-corruption efforts during President Joko Widodo's era is closely linked to the state of democracy, human rights, and press freedom.

“The eradication of corruption in the Jokowi era has been sluggish. "The naming of a number of ministers (as corruption suspects) and most recently the naming of former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej shows that the President does not choose his assistants based on track record and integrity," said Agus.

Agus conveyed this in a discussion commemorating Anti-Corruption Day and International Human Rights Day with the theme "The Setback of Democracy and Hijacking the Constitution" which was held in Jakarta, Sunday (10/12/2023). Present as speakers were eleven representatives from non-governmental organizations, including Imparsial Director Gufron Mabruri, General Chair of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Sasmito Madrim, member of the Kontras Impunity Monitoring Division Jane Rosalina Rumpia, and Executive Director of ELSAM Wahyudi Djafar.

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DENTY PIAWAI NASTITIE

The atmosphere of a discussion commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day and International Human Rights Day with the theme of "The Decline of Democracy and Constitution Hijacking" held in Jakarta on Sunday (10/12/2023).

In addition, the fight against corruption has also declined after the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law in 2019. This is reflected in the elimination of investigators, prosecutors, and employees who have integrity at the KPK through the national insight test.

"After the revision, the number of cases handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has decreased. This includes a decrease in the number of suspects. The problematic situation within KPK has affected the acceleration of corruption eradication efforts carried out by KPK. Furthermore, a number of KPK leaders have been involved in violations of the code of ethics, which further indicates a decline in integrity," he said.

He also highlighted the sentences for corruptors which only range from three to four years. Those punishments are not enough to break the chain of corruption cases.

"What if we could explain that extraordinary crimes such as corruption, if the average condition (sentence) was only three years. "This is what shows that the situation for eradicating corruption in Indonesia is not good," he said.

Regent Acting of Sorong Yan Piet Mosso, who was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission, was escorted by officers to a detention car after the exposure of a sting operation in the surrounding area of ​​Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province, at the Red and White Building, KPK, Jakarta, on Tuesday (14/11/2023).

According to Agus, there should be efforts towards impoverishing and seizing the assets of corrupt individuals. Although asset seizure is a mandate of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, Agus laments that the discussion of the Bill on Asset Seizure seems to be going nowhere.

This is in contrast to other problematic bills that are quickly resolved by the government and DPR. For example, the Job Creation Law, revisions to the KPK Law, and the Health Law.

"The law that seems to have a significant impact on state officials and public figures, including members of the DPR, is still unclear," he said.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI (RAD)

The Victim Solidarity Network for Justice (JSKK) activists held their 619th silent protest in front of Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday (23/1/2020).

Meanwhile, Kontras found that the pattern of strengthening government power hegemony today is directly proportional to the number of human rights violations, especially those caused by a fairly massive development agenda and the arbitrariness of the authorities in the field.

Kontras also assesses that the government is trying to manipulate efforts to resolve severe human rights violations cases through non-judicial means, while the disclosure of truth and human rights trials have yet to be carried out and substantive justice for victims has not been presented.

The 2023 Human Rights Day notes are divided into seven main topics, including the failure to resolve serious human rights violations, various forms of violations against fundamental rights and repression of civil liberties, development approaches that harm society, the human rights situation in Papua, various cases of attacks against human rights defenders, the stagnation of security sector reforms, and the role of the Indonesian government in human rights issues on the international stage. Please note that the words "PBB," "PKS," and "PPP" should not be translated if they appear in the article.

Coordinator of Kontras, Dimas Bagus Arya, said that the failure of the government to bring serious human rights violations to a close was evidenced by the continuation of non-judicial mechanisms for resolving such violations. However, the government has actually neglected aspects of truth disclosure and resolution through human rights courts.

Also Read: State Admits Serious Human Rights Violations in 12 Past Incidents

Apart from failing to resolve cases of serious human rights violations as a whole, throughout December 2022-November 2023, various incidents of "deprivation" of the fundamental rights of citizens still occurred, such as incidents of extrajudicial killings, torture and human trafficking practices that were still found. involving state officials.

Based on Kontras monitoring data, there were at least 31 incidents of extrajudicial killing or extrajudicial killings which claimed 46 lives. In some cases, the police even continued shooting even though the criminal suspect was completely unarmed and did not put up any resistance. "This shows that one of the factors in the occurrence of extrajudicial killings is the excessive and arbitrary use of firearms by the police," said Dimas.

The National Police of Indonesia has been reminded that it already has Regulation of the National Police Chief Number 8 of 2009 concerning the Implementation of Human Rights Principles and Standards in the Execution of Police Duties in the Republic of Indonesia, which explicitly states that the use of force by police officers should be minimal.

On the other hand, Law No. 2 of 2002 (Police Law) also regulates that in carrying out their duties, members of the National Police must always uphold human rights. According to Dimas, the various cases of extrajudicial killing that have occurred are direct violations of these regulations, as well as evidence that there are still officers in the field who ignore human rights rules and standards in carrying out their duties.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Activists from the Kamisan movement gathered once again to hold a demonstration in front of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. The demonstration was held with the aim of demanding that the government resolves several human rights violation cases, including the unresolved Semanggi I Tragedy which has been ongoing for 20 years. The demonstration took place on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

Human rights defenders also experience a complicated situation. Judicial harassment or criminalization is now increasingly haunting, even more massively carried out. Criminal legal instruments are easily misused to silence human rights defenders.

ELSAM Executive Director Wahyudi Djafar said, there are three main issues related to democracy and human rights, namely the emergence of repressive actions that threaten civil liberties, the incomplete resolution of cases of gross human rights violations, as well as the existence of presidential candidates who were involved in serious violations in the past.

"The thing that is very concerning is if the agenda of resolving serious violations is threatened to come to a complete stop," he said.