During the commemoration of International Day to End Impunity on Friday, the human rights watchdog Institute for Research and Advocacy (Elsam) had once again urged the government to prosecute unfinished human rights violation cases.

According to Elsam executive director Indriaswati D. Saptaningrum, most of the perpetrators involved in human rights violations still walk free, as the government has kept silent.

"Seven human rights cases are stuck in the Attorney General's Office (AGO)," Indriaswati said, citing unsolved cases like the 1965 communist purge and the 1998 Tanjuk Priok massacre.

"Those crimes that happened in this nation's past are so gross and unacceptable, but remain unsolved until today," she said. "Recently, we also witnessed the rampant violence against journalists"

Elsam urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to evaluate the performance of AGO in taking steps to resolve pending human rights violation cases. "We must keep reminding the government that neglecting means giving impunity and protection toward the perpetrators of human rights violations," she said.

The International Day to End Impunity was launched Nov.23 of last year to observe the 2009 Ampatuan massacre in the Philippines, where 32 journalists and media workers were murdered.

Through the commemoration of the day, human rights activists call on governments to bring justice for those who were killed or kidnapped when they tried to defend their freedom of expression. (cor/lfr)