The Two Faces of Human Rights Under President Prabowo’s New Government

Tempo.co, November 17, 2024

Indonesia’s new government is trying to erase traces of past human rights violations, hurting victims and their families.

Presenting a clean image on human rights, President Prabowo Subianto’s new government presents two contrasting faces. The first: the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Human Rights. The second, however, is a troubling effort to erase the record of past human rights abuses.

The latter face poses significant risks for the future. Indonesia’s Constitution unequivocally protects the rights of every citizen. Article 28A of the 1945 Constitution guarantees that every individual has the right to life and to defend their existence. Yet, efforts to obscure human rights abuses began early under the new government.

Push to Silence Investigations

The government is reportedly pressuring the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to refrain from designating two key events as gross human rights violations: the 2004 assassination of civil rights activist Mr. Munir Said Thalib, and the 2001 massacre of civilians in the palm planation of Aceh province’s PT Bumi Flora. The National Human Rights Commission is in the process of finalizing its investigation reports into these cases.

Before President Prabowo’s inauguration, in August 2024, Mugiyanto Sipin—himself a victim of forced abduction—met with the families of individuals forcibly disappeared during pro-democracy demonstrations in 1998. Acting on behalf of senior officials in President Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, Mugiyanto urged families to accept compensation and agree to non-judicial resolutions to their cases. Today, Mugiyanto serves as the Deputy Minister of Human Rights.

Mugiyanto works under Natalius Pigai, a former Komnas HAM commissioner. Pigai has sparked controversy by publicly criticizing the ministry’s limited budget. His position appears to be a “reward” for his vocal defense of President Prabowo against accusations of human rights violations.

History of Violence Under Scrutiny

In 2008, Komnas HAM identified 12 cases of gross human rights violations, including the enforced disappearance of activists and students—a grim chapter that preceded the fall of the New Order regime of President Suharto in 1998. The Special Forces Command (Kopassus), led by (then) Lieutenant General Prabowo, was implicated in the disappearances. A disciplinary conduct board of senior officers convened by Indonesia’s Armed Forces in August 1998 concluded that Lieut. Gen. Prabowo had ordered his troops to detain nine activists.

Reports have emerged that members of President Prabowo’s cabinet are now preparing a “white paper” to absolve him of involvement in the 1998 abductions. Former pro-democracy activists are reportedly involved in drafting this document. In parallel, the government is planning to resolve human rights cases through reconciliation efforts involving compensation and rehabilitation.

Dismissive Remarks and Their Impact

The government’s disregard for human rights protections has been further underscored by comments from Yusril Ihza Mahendra, newly appointed Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections. Just one day after assuming office, Yusril commented that no gross human rights violations had occurred in 1998. His remarks starkly contradict determinations by the National Human Rights Commission.

The efforts to whitewash the past have deeply hurt victims and their families. Since 2007, survivors of the shootings at Jakarta’s Semanggi district in 1998 and other atrocities have held nearly 850 weekly so-called “Thursday commemorations” (Kamisan) to demonstrate outside the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, demanding justice.

Truth and Justice

Justice for victims can only be achieved through uncovering the truth and prosecuting those responsible. Efforts to erase the past are a betrayal of memory and justice, echoing the warning of Czech-born author Milan Kundera: “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.”

This government’s approach to human rights serves as a stark reminder of that struggle—and of the long road ahead to achieving justice in Indonesia.

This post is based on https://www.tempo.co/kolom/penanganan-pelangaran-ham-prabowo-1169336.