TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) Head of research Rivanlee Anandar, strongly rebutted Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD's claims concerning zero human rights violations under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's first term.

"Saying that in the post-reformation period there had been no human rights abuses is a misleading narration," said Rivanlee in his written statement on Thursday, Decembr 12, 2019.

Rivanlee said that by providing a new narrative on what classifies as human rights violation, Mahfud MD has overridden the task of Komnas HAM. Rivanlee also said that by doing so, Mahfud has ignored Komnas HAM's function.

Moreover, Rivanlee stated that Mahfud mentioned a case that is clearly considered as a human rights violation while trying to prove his point. The case in question was the how the authorities responds to the public uprising in Papua.

"From that context, he has ignored the acts done by the government, either by omission or commission, in violating human rights," said Rivanlee.

Rivanlee also criticized Mahfud MD's definition of human rights violation as a violation committed by the government for a specific purpose and intention. He aruged that such narrow definition has been annulled since the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Righs was held, which now mandates a government to protect and promote the basic freedom and human rights of its people apart from any political system, economy, and culture.

FRISKI RIANA