Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has announced a new Cabinet line-up that returns a reformist to the Finance Ministry and puts a close ally in charge of maritime issues.
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While many welcomed the President’s sweeping changes, particularly in economic-centric ministries, some were surprised by the move to replace Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan with former general Wiranto – no relation to the economist.
Komnas HAM concluded on the basis of its investigations that Gen. Wiranto was aware of the “widespread and organized” violations of human rights that occurred in 1999, at the time of the East-Timor referendum.
“Jokowi is a pragmatic president and politician, so it’s not that he ignores human rights but at the same time it’s not a paramount principle for him, he has other pragmatic calculations”, said Basuki. After 24 years of Indonesian rule, East Timor voted overwhelmingly for independence, but not before pro-Jakarta militias attacked independence supporters which the United Nations panel said was backed by Indonesia’s military.
Amnesty International also expressed its dismay at the appointment, calling it a show of “contempt for human rights”. “A day after ordering a fresh round of executions, Jokowi has now made a decision to hand control of the country’s security apparatus to someone who was indicted for crimes against humanity by a UN-sponsored tribunal”, said Josef Benedict, Amnesty’s Deputy Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “The first step towards that must be a moratorium on executions with a view to ridding Indonesia of the unjust punishment once and for all”.
Executive Director Grant Bayldon said many of New Zealand’s major trading partners, like China, Saudi Arabia and Iran who execute many people each year are the worst offenders.
Mr Bayldon said they have received credible reports that at least 10 of those to be executed are foreign nationals, no New Zealanders. He also reminded his aides to only adhere to one voice and support the policy of the president and vice president. Carrying out executions will not rid Indonesia of drugs.
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Despite for calls of a moratorium on executions from the global community, local media has reported the ongoing preparations for the executions, such as 14 coffins being transported to Indonesia’s Nusakambangan prison island, where the prisoners are being held. In August 2015, the government announced that it would form a “reconciliation commission” to seek a “permanent solution for all unresolved human rights abuses” of the past half century.
