HoriZons

Wita Krisanti from the Jakarta Social Institute speaks with Community Aid Abroad National Policy Co-ordinator Lia Kent about the struggle for human rights in Indonesia.

Wita: The Jakarta Social Institute works with street children, factory workers and scavengers, providing basic education for street children - how to read, how to write - and giving them space to develop their interests - theatre and music. We try to empower the urban poor to defend themselves, so they have their pride as a human being, because they're experiencing dehumanisation. We provide legal aid for factory workers who have problems with owners or management, basic education and help with labour regulations.

Lia: What do you think about the argument that human rights is a western concept, incompatible with Asian values?

Human rights is a universal notion, though there is sometimes a difference in application. The problem is that governments in Asia use "Asian values" as a political tool and to legitimise their political practices. In Indonesia for example, they say that freedom of expression is not part of Indonesian culture, which is not true.

Human rights are often interpreted in different ways. How far human rights are implemented depends on the awareness and knowledge of its people. For some societies, democracy means free elections and freedom of the press; but for a truly democratic society, these are only part of democracy. I also want to criticise the so-called democratic countries such as the USA: on one hand they widely promote human rights, while on the other they support the Indonesian military.

What do you see as major human rights issues in Indonesia?

The main issue is injustice, coming from power imbalances and state violence. It's very difficult because in western countries there is rule by regulation, or rule of law, but in Indonesia it's rule by the ruler. So it means that justice can be stretched according to the power of the elite.

Are there any legal avenues for those experiencing state violence?

In practice, it's very difficult to find justice for these people. We try to defend their rights. Sometimes they have their own ways to do this - silent, resistance movements. But their problems hardly appear in public because they're only poor; the world knows about the kidnapping and arrest of political activists, but not the day-to-day life of these poor people.

Do you think that people are aware of what rights and legal avenues they have?

I think everyone is aware of their rights. The problem is, they don't have access to justice because the government's system alienates the common people. So we don't try to educate or direct people, but provide information or channels for them to express their feelings or resolve their problems.

Are United Nations human rights instruments an important part of your work?

Yes, these Conventions become one of our tools against the injustice in Indonesia, like the Convention against Torture. We use it to force the government to recognise this right; we hope that with the acknowledgement of this Convention, the government will reduce the violence.

Indonesia recently established a National Human Rights Institution, Komnas Ham, to encourage the implementation of international human rights standards and promote human rights. What do Indonesian activists think about Komnas Ham?

People now trust Komnas Ham more than the People's Assembly [the Indonesian government]. Last year Komnas Ham urged the government to do something about the 27 July 1996 incident [when Megawati Sukarnoputri, leader of the Indonesian Democratic party (PDI) was ousted and the PDI office attacked by the military, leading to riots]. We've used Komnas Ham to raise issues about violence against street children, worker layoffs and mass rape against Indonesian Chinese women [in May 1998 during the looting and burning in Jakarta]. We hope that in time Komnas Ham can become more independent, and that members are elected from independent persons, rather than those from military backgrounds.

Do activists in Indonesia make use of international forums like the United Nations or the International Labour Organisation (ILO)?

They now use the UN Human Rights Commission, especially as state violence has become more prevalent. The latest meeting of the Commission was attended by the Voluntary Team for Humanity, who this year went to Geneva to present their findings about mass rape against Indonesian Chinese women, because the government initially refused to acknowledge the issue. Not having been in Indonesia for two years you missed the recent changes - are you optimistic about the future?