Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has praised Indonesia's progress in applying human rights principles in recent years, and says the country should play a leading role in the establishment of human rights mechanisms in the region.
During her meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda here Wednesday, the commissioner also raised the need for the international community to enhance efforts to universally abolish capital punishment, which is still used by the Indonesian legal system.
"She expressed her appreciation of what Indonesia has done to uphold human rights principles, and our active engagement at the international level. She asked Indonesia to take a leading role in the promotion of human rights in the region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said.
The Asia-Pacific region has lagged behind other regions in addressing human rights with no agreed upon human rights mechanisms, while many countries in the region do not have effective rights bodies.
Europe has the European Court of Human Rights, Africa the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and America has the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Court of Human Rights.
Arbour said Tuesday in Bali that Southeast Asian countries would serve as an inspiration for other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, given their commitment to the immediate establishment of the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism.
The Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter, which was unanimously endorsed by the leaders of the 10 countries in the regional grouping earlier this year, showed an emerging consensus on the establishment of rights mechanisms.
However, many were pessimistic about the grouping's equality of footing on the issue as several member countries, notably Myanmar, are accused of serious human rights violations, while many others are still unwilling to include a reference to human rights in the planned charter.
With Thailand falling into the hands of a military junta and the Philippines facing lasting internal conflict, a growing number of analysts have placed their hopes on Indonesia to champion human rights at the regional level, stressing the country's size and its relatively better human rights records.
On the issue of the abolition of capital punishment, Kristiarto said that Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda had explained Indonesia's position to Arbour.
"The commissioner did not specifically raise the issue in Indonesia as she referred to the international community as a whole, but as a country still adopting capital punishment. Pak Hassan explained that Indonesia is very selective and careful in handing down a death penalty. He said all capital punishment must go through a transparent and fair legal process," he said.
The international community has expressed growing concern about Indonesia's use of capital punishment, with reports saying more than 30 people across the country are on death row.
The European Union recently condemned an Indonesian court for sentencing two Europeans to death for drug offenses, urging the authorities in Jakarta to abolish capital punishment.
Earlier, Dutch authorities also lodged an official protest with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry against a death sentence handed down to one of its citizens.