KemenHAM Emphasizes Revision of Human Rights Law to Strengthen the Authority of Komnas HAM

Staff Expert to the Minister of Human Rights for Bureaucratic and Legislative Reform Rumadi Ahmad. (ANTARA/HO-KemenHAM)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Human Rights confirmed that the revision of Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights aims to strengthen the authority of the National Human Rights Commission, including follow-up recommendations and strengthening the enforcement of human rights.

Staff Expert to the Minister of Human Rights for Bureaucratic and Legislative Reform, Rumadi Ahmad, stated that the allegation that the revision of the law weakens the independence of Komnas HAM is not true.

"It is not true that the change in the Human Rights Law weakens the independence of Komnas HAM," said Rumadi Ahmad as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, May 29.

He emphasized that Komnas HAM remains an independent state institution that functions to oversee the implementation of human rights by the government, while strengthening and counseling human rights is part of the executive's duties.

"Komnas HAM as an independent state institution must be placed as a supervisor of the implementation of human rights carried out by the government," he said.

Rumadi also denied the assumption that the revision was aimed at dwarfing the role of Komnas HAM. He said that there was actually an increase in authority in the draft amendment to the rules.

"The allegation of this change to dwarf Komnas HAM is also completely untrue. This change actually strengthens Komnas HAM," he said.

According to him, one of the proposed strengthening is that the recommendations of Komnas HAM are more binding so that their implementation can be more effective in ministries, institutions, and local governments.

In addition, the revision also opens the possibility of strengthening the authority of Komnas HAM not only in the investigation, but also the investigation.

Rumadi denied that the process of drafting the revision was carried out without public participation. He said that various parties had been involved from the beginning, including civil society organizations, academics, as well as national human rights institutions such as the National Commission for Women, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), and the National Commission for Disability (KND).

He also said that the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, Anis Hidayah, and Komnas HAM experts had been present in the discussion of the revision of the law at the Ministry of Human Rights.

"The Ministry of Human Rights understands that the formulation of the Human Rights Law must be carried out with meaningful public participation," said Rumadi.

Currently, he said, the Ministry of Human Rights is still carrying out public testing of the revision of the law in various regions and campuses and opening a channel for public input through the ministry's official website.

The government also received proposals from academics, including strengthening coordination between national human rights institutions in handling related cases.

Rumadi emphasized that the Ministry of Human Rights remained open to input from various parties, including Komnas HAM, for the improvement of the revision of the law.

"Other things that are still considered problematic, the Ministry of Human Rights which is responsible for changing this law is very open to the proposals of various parties, including Komnas HAM," he said.