2010 sees decline in justice and human rights: Report

The government’s commitment to upholding justice and human rights has declined, a recent report issued by the Jakarta-based LBH (Legal Aid Institute) says.

“This year we saw a decline in the commitment of the government and law officials to enforce the law and uphold human rights in Indonesia,” LBH Jakarta foundation director Nurkholis Hidayat said Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.

According to the report, Compromising With Justice: The Portrait of Law and Human Rights Enforcement in 2010, the number of complaints in 2010 was higher than it had been for the past five years, with a total of 1,150 complaints and 146,478 victims.

Most cases involved social and political sectors, particularly violations of the human right to unite and assemble, and also unfairness in the justice system.

Victims were mostly workers, entrepreneurs, housewives and the unemployed, while complaints mostly came from Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang.

Reviewing the report, LBH Jakarta urged the government to uphold “equality before the law”.

“We see the need for the government to come back and lead the law and human rights enforcement process indiscriminately,” Hidayat said.


(2010-12-23/thejakartapost)