Wiranto vows to settle historic human rights abuses

Marguerite Afra Sapiie - The Jakarta Post - Thu, September 15 2016

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has vowed to settle serious historic human rights violation cases as mandated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo because of public demand.

"I will find the solutions even though people doubt that I will do so," he said on Wednesday.

The ministry had continuously conducted efforts to settle the historic abuses in comprehensive and transparent manners, so that the solutions would be fair and nondiscriminatory for all parties, not just benefiting certain groups and resulting in injustice for others, Wiranto said.

"We don't want the settlement of historic human rights abuses to create bad implications for the nation in the future," Wiranto said.

The government has vowed to settle at least six major human rights violations, namely the 1965 communist purge, the 1989 Talangsari incident in Central Lampung, the 2001 and 2003 Wamena and Wasior incidents in Papua, various kidnappings and unresolved shootings in the 1980s, the May 1998 riots and the disappereance of activists, then coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in March.

The team of the National Symposium in April, a government-sponsored event to seek reconciliation for the 1965 mass killings, has submitted the symposium results and now waits for the government to take further action to resolve the country's dark past.

Wiranto asserted the ministry had invited the National Commission of Human Rights and legal experts to the ministry’s meetings to get their input. (bbn)

Photo: Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani prepare for a group photo on July 27 after their appointments as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's newest Cabinet members.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)