Timur Pradopo's commitment on human rights questioned

The only president-proposed National Police chief candidate, Comr. Gen. Timur Pradopo, has ignored requests from human rights commission for questioning, raising questions over his commitment on human rights.

National Commission for Human Rights chief Ifdhal Kasim said on Tuesday the commission had sent two letters requesting Timur to give testimonies over the 1998 Trisakti bloody incident.

"We sent the letters twice, back in 2005. Pak Timur never showed up. He has also never informed us why he ignored our summons," Ifdhal told The Jakarta Post.

After then, the commission requested a forced summon through the Central Jakarta District Court but the judges rejected it due to "differences in law interpretation".

By ignoring the commission's call, Timur had disobeyed the law, Ifdhal said.

"Our authority to investigate human rights cases and summon people we consider relevant to the case is accommodated by the law. Everybody we summon should appear under the law," he said.

Ifdal also expressed disappointment over President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's choice to propose Timur as the next police chief.

"Most human rights complaints we receive from the public involve the police. If the police chief has bad human rights record like Timur, I'm afraid the force will be worse in the future in term of human rights," he said.

Al Araf from human rights-concerned NGO, Imparsial, shared Ifdhal's remarks.

"The parliament members should have noticed those facts. Lawmakers have the right to reject President's candidate for police chief, and they should do that in regards with Timur's record on human rights in the past," Al Araf told the Post.