Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The House of Representatives urged the government Monday to resolve the murder case of human rights campaigner Munir, to finalize financial compensation for mudflow victims in Sidoarjo and to review the final examination system for high school seniors.
During the fourth session of the 2006-2007 sitting period, House Speaker Agung Laksono particularly said the government was not doing enough to solve Munir's case or to compensate Sidoarjo villagers.
But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not mention either issue, said National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and State Minister for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman after an evaluation Sunday ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.
Golkar Party member Agung said the resolution of Munir's murder was a test of Indonesia's law enforcement – a political hotbox for which Yudhoyono says he has much passion. "The sooner this case is resolved, (the sooner) we can avoid international intervention," Agung said.
A staunch critic of the country's military, Munir was poisoned during his flight to Amsterdam on a Garuda Indonesia plane in September 2004. With regard to the Sidoarjo mudflow, the House said the issue was attracting more and more attention, which was being exacerbated by PT Lapindo Brantas Inc.'s reluctance to properly compensate thousands of victims or pay for destroyed infrastructure.
Lapindo is a consortium that was undergoing gas exploration works in Sidoarjo. It has been alleged Lapindo caused the underground gas leak which triggered the mudflow almost a year ago. The mudflow has not stopped and the disaster has forced thousands to leave the area.
The gas company is affiliated with Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie who is a businessman and high-profile member of Vice President Jusuf Kalla's Golkar Party.
"(The issue of compensation has gone) beyond Lapindo's ability to settle," Agung said. "The government must take a more significant role to rescue the people in the area."
The House also said the government's decision to maintain the national exams as the only determination for students' graduation from their final year of high school was in fact illegal.
"Law No. 20/2003 on National Education System says students' evaluation is made by educators to review the progress and improvement of students continuously," Agung said. "So making the national exams the only determining factor for graduation is against the law."
Many have criticized the government's current exam policy because it does not cater for the varying and unavoidable degrees of education across the country.
During the next month and before going into recess again on July 21, the House is set to complete deliberating 15 laws, many of which will focus on regional divisions, freedom to access public information, a pilgrimage system, taxation and limited enterprises.
In this session the House will also start the preliminary talks on the draft 2008 state budget bill and will commence ratifying the extradition and defense treaties with Singapore.
The House is also waiting for a set of four bills on politics, including bills on elections and political parties.
While the government is holding the House up – Agung hopes to complete processing the bills before the year's end so members of the General Elections Committee (KPU) can be selected to organize the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.