TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Human rights minister seeks Rp 20 trillion for rights development
The Human Rights Ministry’s budget of Rp 64 billion is too small to develop human rights in Indonesia, minister Natalius Pigai said.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai (left) and Deputy Human Rights Minister Mugiyanto Sipin are seen onstage on Oct. 21, 2024, during a welcoming ceremony at the Pengayoman Hall in the Law and Human Rights Ministry in Jakarta. (Antara/Human Rights Directorate General)
H
uman Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has proposed a budget of Rp 20 trillion (US$ 1.29 billion) for his newly created ministry, much higher than the Rp 64 billion his ministry currently operates with.
“Therefore, the transition team restructured the budget from Rp 64 billion to Rp 20 trillion,” Pigai said at his office in Jakarta, as quoted by Tempo on Monday.
“If the state can afford it, I'd push for a budget exceeding Rp 20 trillion. Pigai can do it. I am a field worker in human rights.”
Pigai served as a commissioner with the National Commission for Human Rights in 2012-2017.
He said his ministry’s budget was only 0.31 percent of the 2024 budget for the Law and Human Rights Ministry, which was reorganized by President Prabowo Subianto into three separate ministries.
The newly created Law Ministry has a budget of Rp 7.29 trillion while the Immigration and Correctional Services Ministry is earmarked with a budget of Rp 13.39 trillion.
Also created was the Office of the Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister to coordinate the three ministries. Previously, the coordination was carried out by the former office of the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister.
Pigai called for the budget increase to ensure his ministry’s effectiveness and to address critical human rights issues in Indonesia. He said that a larger budget was required to fulfill Prabowo’s human rights visions.
“[The establishment of the Human Rights Ministry] signifies that the President is paying special attention to this issue. I am a soldier of the President; even without the Human Rights Ministry, I could have been assigned to another ministry,” he remarked at the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s office on Monday.
“I have been with [President Prabowo] for 20 years and have known him for 30 years. For me, there is no connection; the fact that the president wanted to establish [the ministry] indicates that there is something significant being planned.”
Pigai also said his ministry had different duties than the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), saying that the ministry would build human rights while the commission would supervise the development.
He said that there were at least three mandates for his ministry, respect for human rights, citizens protection and fulfilling citizens’ needs. All three mandates were part of human rights development, he added.
“Therefore, drafting the vision and missions, strategy and budget need to be directed in the context of developing human rights,” Pigai said.
