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Top Indonesian rights activists upbeat about joining Komnas HAM
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Makarim Wibisono (second left), a member of the 2017-2022 National Commission on Human Rights commissioner selection team, explains the progress in the selection of new commissioners during a visit to ‘The Jakarta Post’ on Jan. 18. Other team members Siti Musdah Mulia (left), Bambang Widodo Umar (second right) and Zoemrotin K. Susilo (right), attended the meeting. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
hree globally acknowledged human rights activists are on the list of candidates selected to enter the next screening stage for new leaders of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) for the 2017-2022 period.
Along with 57 other candidates, the three activists passed a written examination held by a government-sanctioned selection team in charge of the recruitment.
They are former Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) executive director Rafendi Djamin, who also served at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) from 2009-2015, HRWG’s freedom of religion senior advisor Choirul Anam, who is also the Committee of Solidarity Action for Munir (Kasum) leader, and outspoken activist Haris Azhar, former coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).
As a Kasum leader, Choirul has taken a lead in efforts to push the government to solve the long-abandoned murder case of prominent human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.
“To become a Komnas HAM commissioner is a big responsibility, especially amid a lack of public support given to the institution,” Choirul told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
“I hope I can win the trust of the public to serve the institution and to do what must be done, especially to resolve the prolonged cases of past gross abuse,” he added.
The three well-known activists and other selected candidates from various professional backgrounds will attend a public debate on May 17 and 18.
“We invite the public to participate in the process by providing us with information, including on the track records [of the candidates],” selection team member Makarim Wibisono said. (ebf)
