Jokowi Affirms Government Intends To Sincerely Resolve Serious Human Rights Violations

President Jokowi/screenshot via ANTARA/Youtube Presidential Secretariat

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo emphasized that the Government has a sincere intention to resolve gross human rights (HAM) violations that occurred in the past on the recommendation of the Team for the Non-Judicial Resolution of Serious Human Rights Violations (PPHAM).

The President conveyed this when delivering directions in the Launching of the PPHAM Recommendation Implementation Program at the former location of the Rumoh Geudong incident, Pidie, Aceh, Tuesday, June 27.

"Once again the government has a sincere intention of PPHAM's recommendation to resolve gross human rights violations in our country, Indonesia," Jokowi said as quoted by ANTARA.

According to Jokowi, Indonesia as a large country cannot escape various events.

"Sometimes events are good, but there are also things that are not good. I think it's normal for other countries to have such histories," he said.

The Head of State expressed his gratitude to the victims and/or heirs of the victims who have been gracious enough to go through the long process of receiving restoration of their rights as an effort to resolve non-judicial past gross human rights violations.

President Jokowi believes that this long process will not be in vain and hopes that it can pave the way for various recoveries.

"Hopefully this good process will pave the way for efforts to heal existing wounds, the start for building a just, peaceful, and prosperous life on a foundation of protection and respect for human and humanitarian rights," Jokowi said.

During the launch, it was announced that the restoration of the rights of the victims of 12 past incidents had begun, which had previously been acknowledged by the Government of Indonesia as gross human rights violations.

The 12 past incidents involving gross human rights violations were conveyed by President Jokowi in a statement on 11 January 2023 as a follow-up to the PPHAM Team's report.

The 12 incidents are the 1965-1966 Incident, the 1982-1985 Mysterious Shooting Incident, the Talangsari Incident in Lampung 1989, the Rumoh Geudong and Pos Sattis Incidents in Aceh 1989, the 1997-1998 Forced Disappearances Incident, and the May 1998 Riots.

Then the Trisakti and Semanggi I-II 1998-1999 incidents, the 1998-1999 Witchcraft Witch Murders, the 1999 Aceh KKA Simpang Incident, the 2001-2002 Wasior Papua Incident, the 2003 Wamena Papua Incident, and the 2003 Jambo Keupok Aceh Incident.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD who was also present at the launch stated that the fulfillment of the rights of victims in the 12 incidents would be carried out simultaneously by ministries and non-ministerial government agencies (K/L) involved in Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2023 concerning Implementation of Recommendations for Settlement of Non-Settlement -Judicial Serious Human Rights Violations.

"The prevention agenda will also be carried out soon and efforts to resolve it through the judicial route will continue to be carried out," said Mahfud.

In line with that, President Jokowi reiterated that the government's steps to pursue a non-judicial settlement will not negate efforts to settle a judicial settlement.

"At the beginning of last January, I decided that the government would take a non-judicial settlement that focuses on restoring victims' rights without negating the judicial mechanism," Jokowi said.