JAKARTA - Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai stated that the revision of Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights was designed to strengthen independent human rights institutions, the protection of human rights defenders, and the national human rights judicial system.
"The revision of the current Human Rights Law is entering the public testing stage by involving regulators, ministry officials, national human rights institutions, to civil society groups," said Pigai as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 11.
Pigai said the draft revision had been published to the public as part of public control so that the substance of the regulation could be tested publicly.
"This law is a law that covers all aspects of human rights in Indonesia. This next stage is part of public control so that the results we present later are really of good quality and can be accepted, interpreted, seen, and felt by the public as a good law," said Pigai.
According to him, the revision of the Human Rights Law this time is more progressive than the previous regulation because it strengthens National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) such as Komnas HAM, Komnas Perempuan, Komnas Disabilitas, and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).
"The law that will be present is more progressive and almost all of them strengthen the National Human Rights Institutions, whether it is Komnas HAM, Komnas Perempuan, Komnas Disabilitas, and KPAI," he said.
He explained that the strengthening includes greater investigative powers, including plans to introduce independent investigators at the national human rights institution.
"Komnas HAM will later be the first in Indonesian history to have investigators," he said.
In addition, the government also emphasizes the principle of non-intervention of the state against independent human rights institutions and civil society.
"One of the most important aspects of the law is non-interventionist. Especially from the executive, there is not the slightest state that will be able to intervene in the context of carrying out the development tasks of National Human Rights Institutions," said Pigai.
He added that the revision of the Human Rights Law also strengthens protection for human rights defenders so that they are not easily criminalized while carrying out humanitarian work peacefully.
"We have a duty to present a law with special articles that provide definite protection to human rights defenders," he said.
Pigai said the government targeted the harmonization process at the Ministry of Law to be completed before the draft was submitted to the President for the issuance of a Presidential Letter (Surpres) in June or July.
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