Jakarta – The government should take the conclusion of the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 crimes against humanity (IPT 1965) into consideration in the efforts to resolve past human rights violations, an expert has said.

"Even though the IPT was a non-formal process and not legally binding, as a process [that was] pushed forward by the victims, it shouldn't be so easily dismissed by the government," Taufik Basari, an advocate who often deals with human rights cases, said on Friday.

The IPT, held in The Hague, ruled on July 20 that the systematic killing of people affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 by the state of Indonesia constituted crimes against humanity and urged the government to issue an apology, investigate the killings and compensate victims.

Taufik said the IPT ruling and recommendations could be used as additional input to that produced in the national symposium on the 1965 tragedy held by the government earlier this year.

"It can be one in a series of efforts by the government to resolve human rights violations, important and valuable material aside from the symposium results," he said as quoted by kompas.com. (liz).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/22/govt-should-not-dismiss-ipt-1965-ruling-expert.html