VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has been striving unceasingly to expand the protection and fulfillment of human rights (HAM) to the regional level to encourage the development of more human rights-friendly districts and cities in the country.

Presidential Chief of Staff, Moeldoko, made the remarks at the 2020 Human Rights Festival in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said the effort to develop such cities and districts is aimed at making basic human rights reach all levels of society.

"(This is) In accordance with the President's directives for the protection and fulfillment of human rights to not only be socialized, but also conveyed and felt by the community. So, I encourage more districts/cities to be human rights-friendly,” he added.

Of the 514 districts and cities in Indonesia, 259 have received awards for the attention they have given to human rights, he pointed out.

He said he believes that it is therefore necessary to synchronize the policies of the central and regional governments with the principles of human rights, both civil as well as political, especially policies on the commitment to tolerance and fulfillment of rights of various sectors, ranging from economy, health, education, rights of groups with disabilities, and vulnerable groups, among other rights.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed all aspects of life, should not substantively affect the protection and fulfillment of basic human rights, Moeldoko asserted.

As per President Joko Widodo's directives, the central and regional governments should continue to advance human rights under any circumstances, he said.

"Do not let the crisis bring setbacks, rather, turn it into a momentum to achieve a big leap. In this case, the government has moved quickly through various regulations, fulfilling the budget while still prioritizing public safety and health," he added.

Moeldoko also said the 2020 Human Rights Festival could serve as a momentum for all parties to prioritize and implement human rights principles proactively. That way, the festival could map out issues of human rights protection that have gone unnoticed along with ways to resolve them, he added.

Meanwhile, head of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Ahmad Taufan Damanik, said the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the respect and protection of human rights around the world, especially health rights.

He also explained how the main principle of rights works, saying if one right is curtailed then other rights also get curtailed, but, if one right is fulfilled, it would complement other rights.

"The 2020 Human Rights Festival can hopefully become a bridge for all parties to share knowledge and experiences together as a form of respect and protection of human rights," he remarked.

Chairman of the International NGO Forum on Indonesia (INFID), Totok Yulianto, who joined the event virtually, said the central government, supported by the regional governments, is essentially responsible for fulfilling people's human rights.

Therefore, he said, implementing a human rights friendly district/city is a new strategy that has been developed globally for advancing human rights. He said he hopes that efforts to respect and protect human rights can be carried out properly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival on human rights has been held since 2014 in various cities. The 2020 festival took place in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, making it the first city outside of Java to have hosted such an event.

The 2020 Human Rights Festival, themed ‘Upholding Human Rights in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions’, was also the first to be held virtually. (antaranews)