NGO pushes for military tribunal law change

JAKARTA: The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) urged the House of Representatives to consider revising the military tribunal law, saying it was crucial in the nation’s fight for human rights.

“Kontras regrets the House’s decision to exclude a revision to the military tribunal law from 2011 priority legislation,” Haris Azhar of Kontras said Sunday.

On Dec. 14 the House approved 2011 priority legislation, but the revision to the tribunal law was not included. Haris said there were two problems with the existing law: The lack of court independence and the lack of the concept of a fair trial in current tribunals. That lack has created obstacles for victims of human rights violations in bringing military members to justice, Haris said.

The Indonesian Military currently retains the privilege of a military tribunal for any of their members caught violating the law.

Critics have called the military tribunals opaque. — JP