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Government brushes off Hague tribunal on 1965 massacre
Illustration (kompas
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Illustration ((kompas.com/Taufiqurrahman)) ((kompas.com/Taufiqurrahman))
Illustration (kompas.com/Taufiqurrahman)
The government has refused to acknowledge the International People's Tribunal 1965, being held in The Hague, the Netherlands, saying that Indonesia works on its own justice system.
Attorney General HM Prasetyo refused to accept the mass killings of 1965 and 1966 being brought before a tribunal overseas.
"We solve our own issues. There is no need for other parties to be involved in this," he told kompas.com.
He said the government was making continued efforts to resolve past human rights violations, however, there had faced difficulties in finding evidence and witnesses to testify.
Questioning sessions and early investigations conducted by the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) could not yet be brought to the full investigation stage he said.
"The government is trying to resolve the violations through reconciliation, but there are so many things to discuss and prepare," Prasetyo said.
State Secretary Pratikno said the government was working to prepare a systematic solution for the human rights violations.
"President [Joko Widodo] directed us to [work] based on our own justice system," he said.
The international tribunal, initiated by human rights activists, is being held from Nov. 10 to 13, marking the 50th anniversary of the massacre of up to 1 million considered members or supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan also questioned the people's tribunal, claiming it was unjust.
"Who do they want to try? How can they make a decision about our [case]?" he said.
Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, the general coordinator of the International People's Tribunal 1965 earlier announced that there would be seven judges, six international prosecutors and 16 witnesses taking part in the tribunal.
She urged the government to apologize as the first step toward recognizing the crimes committed by a past government, and also take into account the recommendations resulting from the tribunal. (rin)(+)
