House Speaker Says Indonesia's Human Rights Record Continues To Improve [COMMENT]No mention here about the human rights violations that occur on a regular basis in West Papua
Text of report in English by website of independent Indonesian news
magazine Tempo on 6 June
[Unattributed report: "Indonesia Maintains Good Human Rights Record"]
DPR speaker Marzuki Alie said that human rights reinforcement in
Indonesia had improved. Indonesia has even been chosen as one of the
members in the UN's Human Rights Council. "That means the world
appreciates us. The conflict that happened some time ago resulted from
provincial dynamics, but it remained in the Indonesian Republic
context and was settled peacefully," he said when receiving Swedish
parliamentary chief, Per Westerberg, at the DPR Building.
This year, he continued, Indonesia would be trusted to head ASEAN.
Therefore, the momentum must be used to build unity in all sectors, he
said.
"The good opportunity should also be used to increase trade among
ASEAN countries and resolve issues with other ASEAN countries through
dialogue and discussions facilitated by Indonesia," he added.
According to Marzuki, the ASEAN parliament's role can now synergize
with the ASEAN Parliamentary Assembly forum. "Every time there is an
ASEAN summit, we always convey the resolution decided by the APA so
that it can be implemented by ASEAN countries," he said.
He also said the government's synergy pattern and the parliament was
not only conducted through the government's diplomacy but also through
the parliament's diplomacy. The issue that often upset
Indonesia-Sweden relations is religious pluralism. "Everyone has the
right to freedom, but in Indonesia the freedom comes with mutual
appreciation among believers," he said.
Source: Tempo website, Jakarta, in English 6 Jun 11