Indonesia's president-elect moves to set up human rights court

Margareth S. Aritonang

The Jakarta Post

Publication Date : 26-08-2014

Indonesia's President-elect Joko Jokowi Widodo is pushing for legal instruments that will allow the establishment of an ad hoc human rights court to hear cases of past human rights violations.

Andi Widjajanto, a deputy of the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla transition team in charge of the issue, said on Monday that regulations being drafted by Jokowis transition team included a presidential decree to hear cases of human rights violations that took place during the 1998 May riots and a government regulation in-lieu-of law (Perppu) to address the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) to bring about solutions to a number of past human rights abuses.

We have been reaching out to human rights campaigners for the details, Andi told the press at the transition team headquarters in Central Jakarta on Monday.

Jokowi is committed to resolving human rights violation cases.

Jokowi repeatedly pledged to resolve the 1998 cases, as well as other past rights abuses, during his presidential campaign, a move that apparently earned him support from human rights activists.

Losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, who has been accused of being responsible for the forced disappearances of several activists during the riots in Jakarta in 1998, on the other hand, tried to leave the matter off the agenda during his campaign.

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Indonesia's president-elect moves to set up human rights court