MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce that the Australian
Government will contribute $2 million to assist Indonesia's Human Rights
Commission (Komnas HAM) to improve its capacity to protect and promote human
rights.
Australia's package of assistance to Komnas HAM is
particularly timely given the current crisis in Indonesia and the important
contribution of this institution towards strengthening civil society and the
observance of human rights generally. Indonesia is a country of enduring
importance to Australia. It is in Australia's national interest to have a
prosperous and stable Indonesia. Institutional strengthening is crucial to the
continuing process of reform and will provide practical, concrete and realisable
benefits for the Indonesian people.
Komnas HAM plays a crucial role in monitoring the
human rights situation in Indonesia. Since its establishment in 1993, Komnas HAM
has become highly regarded in Indonesia and has achieved positive results in
monitoring allegations of human rights violations and dealing with complaints.
However the ability of Komnas HAM to adequately guard
against human rights violations has been limited by a lack of appropriately
trained staff and other organisational weaknesses. Last September 1997, the
Australian Government commissioned Australia's Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission to undertake a mission to Indonesia to identify
activities Australia could fund to assist Komnas HAM to improve its capacity to
protect human rights.
The activities to be funded under this assistance
package include:
- Human rights and governance training for
Commission members and trainers - Development of a complaints procedures manual and
computerised database; - A National Seminar on human rights in December
1998; - Management training; and
- English language training;
The timing of this assistance and in particular the
National Seminar, is of special significance as 1998 is the 50th anniversary of
the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 5th
anniversary of the establishment of Komnas HAM.
Australia is also supporting the promotion and
protection of human rights in Indonesia through a number of other initiatives.
In June this year, the Australian Government will
fund the visit of five senior Komnas HAM members, including Secretary-General
Baharuddin Lopa, to Australia. This follows an earlier Australian-funded
delegation in July 1997.
The Australian Government, through AusAID is
currently providing English language training to Komnas HAM staff. We are also
providing short-term training courses, through the Specialised Training Project
- for government officials, representatives of non-government organisations and
lawyers - in areas such as trade policy, human rights and intellectual property
law.
Media contacts:
Innes Willox (Minister's office) 02 6277 7500 / 0411 414 695 Michelle Hardy (AusAID) 02 6206 4968 or mobile 0417 680 590