Rights group questions Sjafrie’s promotion

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) rights group sent Wednesday a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, questioning his appointment of Defense Ministry Secretary General Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the deputy defense minister.

Kontras said in a statement Sjafrie’s promotion to the second top post in the Ministry of Defense went against Article 47 of the 2004 law on Indonesian Military (TNI), which bans active military officers from holding posts reserved for political appointees.

“From political and legal points of view the appointment is difficult to accept. Active military officers can only hold non-political civilian posts,” the statement said.

Kontras insists that the deputy defense minister is a political appointee, although the 2008 law on state ministerial office says deputy ministers are not part of the Cabinet. Yudhoyono has avoided appointing politicians to the deputy ministerial posts.

The NGO also expressed fear Sjafrie’s appointment would cast doubt over Indonesia’s commitment to human rights, given his alleged involvement in a number of past human rights violations. Recently the US government denied Sjafrie an entry for his alleged role in East Timor mayhem in 1999.

Sjafrie has never been charged with rights abuses.