Human rights education (HRE) and
promotion in Indonesia started long before the establishment of the
Komnas HAM in 1993. The National Seminar on Human Rights held in
December 1995 in Semarang acknowledged that for thousands of years
major religions have preached the inherent dignity of human beings as
creatures of God. The proceedings of the discussions by the Founding
Fathers in 1945 of the ideological basis of human rights have been
read since their publication in 1959. Prominent members of the
national elite and their staffs attended two regional seminars on
human rights in the early 1990s initiated by the Department of
Foreign Affairs. Some law departments of state universities have
offered human rights courses for some years now. Military officers
study humanitarian law, which contains the basic principles of human
rights in an armed conflict situation. International allegations of
human rights violations in Indonesia have brought attention to the
corpus of human rights instruments being violated. Human rights
activists have published books, articles and leaflets. And the mass
media have exposed the public to the latest trends in world affairs:
respect for human rights, protection of the environment and
democratization. The Indonesian state philosophy, Pancasila, contains
the principles of a just and civilized society.
Komnas HAM adopts two interrelated
methods in teaching and promoting human rights in the indirect and
the direct methods.
The Indirect Method
The indirect method consists of
accommodating and enhancing the impact of programs of other
institutions. In this category belong the following:
* Press interviews. Members of Komnas
HAM are regularly interviewed by both print and electronic media.
* News of local visits and mediation
by Komnas HAM Teams. Members of the Sub-Commission on Monitoring
often visit places where human rights violations occur, mostly by
invitation from one of the parties to the conflict. They usually
offer to mediate, and make the parties aware of the existence of
human rights principles.
* Speeches and papers presented at
seminars held by other organizations. Many organizations are
interested in the latest developments in human rights and invite
Komnas HAM members to speak at their meetings, which usually draw
media attention. The speeches and papers are compiled and edited for
publication.
* This article originally appeared in
the report of the “Workshop on Human Rights Education and
National Institutions” held in Jakarta, Indonesia, and organized
by the Komnas HAM, Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Quebec
Commission for Human Rights and Youth Rights, and the Canadian Human
Rights Commission, Montreal-Jakarta, 1997.
* Suggestions to schools to adopt
human rights courses in their curricula. Meetings have been held with
high-ranking officials of the Department of Education and Culture for
possible inclusion of human rights subjects in school curricula. More
meetings are needed since some teachers think the curricula is
already too heavy.
* Endorsement of the activities of
other organizations. Komnas HAM officially endorsed the manual on
human rights for common soldiers in the Pancasila Military Command in
West Irian and suggested to the Armed Forces Commander that the
document be officially adopted for wider usage in the Armed
Forces.
* Individual activities. Komnas HAM
members are active in other institutions, as members of Parliament,
for example, or of the bureaucracy, and may disseminate information,
suggestions and ideas on human rights in their routine
activities.
The Direct Method
The direct method consists of Komnas
HAM programs designed to enhance awareness of human rights, both
within the government and among the public. In this category belong
the following:
* Announcements to the general
public. Komnas HAM official statements explain specific human rights
violations to make the public aware of human rights
concepts.
* Submission of information, analyses
and suggestions to the President. The President has always paid
serious attention to information, analyses and suggestions submitted
by Komnas HAM. A copy of the President's instructions, usually signed
by the Minister's Secretary of States, is usually sent to Komnas HAM.
* National seminars and workshops on
human rights. In 1995 and 1996, Komnas HAM initiated two national
seminars and workshops on human rights. The 1995 national seminar
dealt with the cultural aspects of human rights in Indonesia. The
1996 workshop, held in cooperation with the Raoul Wallenberg
Institute, Lund University, Sweden, compared protection of human
rights in the advanced and developing countries. Representatives from
various sectors of Indonesian society participated.
* Publications, both individual and
official. Members of Komnas HAM regularly publish articles on human
rights. Official publications consist of leaflets, annual reports,
and seminar and workshops proceedings. Leaflets are in Indonesian and
in English. Two annual reports, also in Indonesian and in English,
have been published. Proceedings of the 1995 seminar have already
been edited and are ready for publication. Proceedings of the 1996
workshop are still being edited. Translations of United Nations
publications such as the Vienna Declaration of 1993 are being
prepared for publication. Unfortunately, many Indonesians are not
enthusiastic about reading serious books.
* Library and bookshop. With books
donated by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Sweden and librarian
training by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM now has
a fine library of foreign human rights books. Komnas HAM staff
members clip relevant news articles from Indonesian newspapers and
magazines. The Sub-Commission on Education and Information suggests
that Komnas HAM set up a small bookshop in its compound to sell human
rights publications to the public.
* Internet homepage. The latest
effort to reach the public is the establishment of the Komnas HAM
homepage on the Internet. But because not all Komnas HAM members are
familiar with this medium and because the staff is inexperienced,
Komnas HAM has not been able to exploit the full potential of this
medium. The support of a full-time professional staff will enhance
the effectiveness of this medium, particularly when the government
provides telecommunication facilities to the far-flung
islands.
* "Roving seminars." Komnas HAM
intends to hold seminars in selected cities in Indonesia, in the hope
that seminar participants will later help promote human rights.
* TV talk shows. Komnas HAM may
cooperate with state and private television stations to hold talk
shows on human rights issues.
* This article orginally
appeared in the report of the "Workshop on Human Rights Education and
National Institutions" held in Jakarta, Indoenisa, and organized by
the Komnas HAM, Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Quebec Commission
for Human rights and Youth Rights, and the Canadian Human Rights
Commission, Montreal-Jakarta, 1997.