| Paris-Geneva, October 21st,
2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,
a joint program of the FIDH and the OMCT, expresses its concern
at the recent raid against a training programme on Human Rights
monitoring, organized by a governmental body, the National Human
Rights Commission (KOMNAS HAM) on October 19th, in the province
of Aceh, Indonesia.
Since martial law began on May 19th, 2003, KOMNAS HAM has set
up a body to conduct human rights monitoring in Aceh, headed
by Mr. Billah, the head of KOMNAS HAM’s Aceh team. Mr.
Billah is also the facilitator of the raided training session
that is supposed to take place from October 19th to October
23rd. Before this training course, KOMNAS HAM had informed the
regional martial law authority (PDMD) and also Polresta, the
Police authority in Banda Aceh, that they would be holding this
course.
On October 20th, during the morning session, two military representatives
from the PDMD were included in the training programme, based
on their request to be included as “participants”.
At lunchtime, both of them left the training session and at
3 p.m., around 20 troops and 20 police officers came to the
Seulawah pavilion where the training session was being held.
They turned off the lights in order to sabotage the training
programme. The members of the military and the police tried
to come in, but Mr. Billah prevented them from doing so. They
asked for the lists of participants, but Mr. Billah refused
to give it to them and also refused to stop the meeting, leading
to an exchange of words and negotiations with the police who
wanted to take him to headquarters for questioning.
On October 21st, PDMD troops still occupied the Seulawah pavilion.
The police members denied that they had been informed about
the training course and members of the military said that permission
was needed to hold it. As part of the government, KOMNAS HAM
clearly does not require permission to hold such a session.
Since that time, the training session has been interrupted.
The Observatory is particularly concerned for the personal
integrity of the participants in the training session, as the
military are seeking to gain a list of their identities, and
there are serious concerns that their integrity may be at risk
as a result of this.
The Observatory urges the Indonesian authorities to ensure
that the KOMNAS HAM training sessions be allowed to resume without
any incident or interference from the military and police and
to stop any kind of harassment or repression against human rights
defenders in Indonesia, in particular in Aceh.
The Observatory urges the Indonesian authorities to conform
with international human rights standards as these facts contradict
the principles of freedom of association and of freedom of expression.
They constitute violations of the U.N. Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders, especially Article 1, which states that "everyone
has the right, individually and in association with others,
to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation
of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and
international levels". According to Article 2, "each
State has the prime responsibility and duty to protect, promote
and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms".
Article 5 guarantees the right to "meet or assemble peacefully;
to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations
or groups; to communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental
organisations", for the purpose of promoting human rights
and fundamental freedoms.
For more information, please contact :FIDH: 00 33 1
43 55 25 18 - OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 24
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