The National Commission on Human Rights (, Komnas HAM) is the
national human rights institution
A national human rights institution (NHRI) is an independent state-based institution with the responsibility to protect and promote human rights in a country. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) aids these ...
(NHRI) of
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. As with other NHRIs, its principal functions are the protection and promotion of
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
.
History
The commission was established by the
Suharto
Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
regime through a Presidential Decree No. 50 of 1993, shortly after
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the United Nations System, overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a ...
resolution 1993/97 expressed grave concern over allegations of serious human rights violations by the government of Indonesia.
Komnas HAM's jurisdiction included human rights issues in
East Timor
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
until the territory
voted to secede from Indonesia. It also investigated unresolved cases such as the murder of
Marsinah.
After the 1998
downfall of Suharto, the 1993 decree was superseded by Law No. 39 of 1999 which set out the functions of Komnas HAM, and provided for its funding, membership and powers.
Following calls for Komnas HAM to inquire into the 1984
Tanjung Priok massacre
The Tanjung Priok massacre was an incident that occurred on 12 September 1984, in the port area of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia. Government reports give a total of 24 killed and 54 injured, while survivors report over 100 killed when milita ...
, the Human Rights Law of 2000 (No. 26) gave it the power to investigate alleged human rights abuses, if necessary by forming ''ad hoc'' investigative teams bringing in outside expertise. It issued two reports on the 1984 killings. In 2008, it reopened an investigation into the 1998
Trisakti shootings
The Trisakti shootings, also known as the Trisakti tragedy (), took place at Trisakti University, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 12 May 1998. At a demonstration demanding President Suharto's resignation, Indonesian Army soldiers opened fire on unarmed ...
in which four students were shot dead by state security forces at a demonstration demanding President Suharto's resignation.
In 2008, Law No. 40 gave Komnas HAM additional responsibilities in the prevention of racial and ethnic discrimination.
In all of its work, Komnas HAM is required to have regard to human rights defined in national legislation and in international instruments to which Indonesia is party.
International status
In 2000, with support from the
, Komnas HAM secured 'A-status' accreditation from the peer review process of the
International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC), giving it enhanced access to the United Nations human rights bodies. That status was subjected to reviewed by the ICC in March 2007, and reaffirmed.
Chart of accreditation status of NHRIs
/ref> The Commission is a member of the Asia Pacific Forum
The Asia Pacific Forum (APF) is one of four regional networks of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) within the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs. The APF formerly accredited NHRIs for compliance with the United Nations' Pari ...
, one of the four regional groupings in the ICC.
See also
*Human rights in Indonesia
Human rights in Indonesia are defined by the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945) and the laws under it; several rights are guaranteed especially as a result of the constitutional amendments following the Reform era. The Ministry of Law and Human Rig ...
*National human rights institutions
A national human rights institution (NHRI) is an independent state-based institution with the responsibility to protect and promote human rights in a country. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) aids these ...
*Ministry of Human Rights (Indonesia)
The Ministry of Human Rights () is an Indonesian ministry that administers and develops human rights in Indonesia. The ministry has been led by Natalius Pigai since 21 October 2024.
The ministry is distinct from the National Commission on Hum ...
*National Commission on Violence against Women (Indonesia)
The National Commission on Violence against Women (, commonly abbreviated as ) is an Indonesian independent state institution established in 1998 with the goal of eliminating violence against women. It is one of three such institutions, the other ...
* Paris Principles
References
External links
Official site of Komnas HAMOHCHR National Human Rights Institutions site
{{Authority control
Human rights organizations based in Indonesia
National human rights institutions