Dicky Christanto and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – All presidential candidates contesting the July 8 poll have promised to better protect human rights but failed to commit to improving much-criticized poor law enforcements of past human rights violations.

Democratic Party deputy chairman Anas Urbaningrum said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono would improve human rights protections if elected.

"It would be better if we didn't always go back to the past but instead focused on the future. The most important thing is to improve human rights protections to prevent past cases from happening again."

Anas said SBY would place human rights issue as his top priority.

Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto also said they were ready to espouse human rights to achieve a quality democratic system. Kalla-Wiranto campaign team member Yus Usmanegara said the pair would respect human rights, including freedom of speech.

"There is no bargaining for human rights if the country wants to advance democracy. So, for JK-Wiranto, human rights must be upheld," Yus told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. "Pak Kalla's platform also ensures that the media will not be muzzled."

When asked about Wiranto's human rights track record, Yus said it was a smear campaign since Wiranto had never been named as a suspect. "I think the fact that he contested the 2004 presidential election proved that Wiranto has nothing to do with the alleged human rights violations."

Wiranto, as the military commander from 1998 to 1999, was accused of crimes against humanity in Timor Leste, which claimed lives of thousands leading up to and subsequent to the 1999 referendum that saw locals opting for independence.

Retired general Wiranto, who is now chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), was also in command during the 1998 May riots, in which thousands of men and women died on the streets of Jakarta. Wiranto never faced trial.

Deputy Chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Fadli Zon said Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo planned to develop people's economic and social rights if elected later on.

"We would prioritize improving people's economic and social rights as we have noticed that these two fields are the most vulnerable parts of our people that being hit by crisis these days," he told the Post Saturday.

"It is not that we are not paying serious attention to people's political rights but that, for now, I think it would be better for us to develop the fields that have a direct impact on the people's livelihoods," He said further implementation could be found in the pair's eight working programs, which aimed to provide jobs, among other things.

Prabowo, former Army Special Force (Kopassus) commander, was also accused of the kidnapping and murder of anti-Soeharto activists during the 1998 turmoil but never faced trial.

Both Wiranto and Prabowo managed to develop political comebacks after creating their own political parties. Wiranto founded Hanura while Prabowo established the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

The two parties secured the top ten ranks out of 38 parties competing in legislative elections in April.

Human rights activists have repeatedly called on the government to enforce the law by jailing past human rights violators, and have asked that human rights topics be included in the presidential debate. Anas said SBY would have no problem debating human rights issues. (bbs)