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Government prepares reparations for victims as Jokowi regrets past atrocities
The government is preparing to "rehabilitate" the rights of victims and families of victims of a dozen serious past human rights violations after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday acknowledged and expressed regret over the country's dark events.
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Human rights activists hold a rally in front of the State Palace in Jakarta, demanding justice for past human rights abuses in this undated photo. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he government is preparing to "rehabilitate" the rights of victims and families of victims of a dozen serious past human rights violations after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday acknowledged and expressed regret over the country's dark events.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD said the government was considering providing reparations in the social and health sectors, as well as scholarships and “physical rehabilitation”, following recommendations from a nonjudicial settlement team led by veteran diplomat and human rights activist Makarim Wibisono, tempo.co reported.
“The President will summon some ministers, such as the social affairs minister, public works and housing minister, finance minister, military and police chiefs, education minister and others to be assigned a task based on this recommendation,” Mahfud said on Wednesday.
Mahfud did not provide details, and questions remain over how the government would identify all victims or how massive the campaign would be.
But he said that both judicial and nonjudicial settlements would continue to run in parallel.
The move came after the nonjudicial settlement team submitted its 11-point recommendations last month, which included that the government should acknowledge and express regret over past atrocities, restore victims' rights and build an oversight mechanism for recommendations implementation.
On Wednesday, Jokowi followed the recommendations, admitting that 12 incidents amounting to gross human rights violations had taken place in the country's past, spanning the period between 1965 and 2003 prior to his tenure as leader, and expressing his regret. He said the government was trying to "rehabilitate the victims' rights [...] without negating the judicial resolution". He did not elaborate on how it would do that.
