Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Members of House of Representatives' Commission III on legal affairs and laws, human rights and security opposed the proposal to endorse a bill that would grant protection to human rights activists.

"I have not seen any relevant incidents in recent time to support this idea. The protection of human rights defenders sounds a bit paternalistic, as everybody in this country deserves protection," Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) representative Bukhori Yusuf told a hearing with human rights activists who support the legislation.

The bill is among the House's top legislative priorities this year.

Activists grouped under the Coalition of Civil Society for Human Rights Defenders Protection attended the session, which only saw nine out of 51 legislators from the commission attend.

Among the NGOs participating in the session were the Imparsial, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), academics and members of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Bukhori said it was not necessary to endorse the bill on the protection of human rights defenders in the near future. Instead, he suggested that the mechanism of protection for human rights defenders would be included in the revision of the 1999 Law on Human Rights.

"It could be also be included in the revision of the Criminal Code [KUHP] and the Criminal Procedures Code [KUHAP] instead of creating a separate law," he said.

House Commission III chairman Benny K. Harman, from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said Indonesia needed to expand Komnas HAM's authority to accommodate the mechanism to protect defenders of human rights.

Imparsial director Poengky Indarty said the bill was necessary because many perpetrators of violence and torture against activists and journalists had been left untouched. "In fact, many of the incidents were committed by law enforcers whose duty is actually to protect people's rights," she said.

Poengky cited a number of incidents of torture and even murder of journalists. "Journalists are also defenders of human rights. Along with activists, they have been targets of violence for years," she said.

She also cited the torture of ICW activist Tama S. Langkun last year. "President Yudhoyono visited Tama in the hospital and made a speech vowing to uncover the perpetrators and promote protection for activists. However, almost a year after the incident the police have still failed to name any suspects," she said.

Komnas HAM commissioner Jhony Nelson Simanjuntak said the commission had supported the NGOs in pushing the House to endorse the bill. "The government must take measures to ensure that all human rights defenders can work freely, independently and with full protection from state authorities," he said.