TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo planned to send ministers to East Europe to gather and meet perpetrators of human rights violations, including people exiled because of the 30 September Movement or G30S coup back in 1965.

“We will announce that they have full rights as [Indonesian] citizens,” said Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud Md after meeting with the President at Jakarta State Palace on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Mahfud will be one of the state officials ordered by the President to depart for East Europe to carry out the mission along with Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly and Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi. The gathering of exiles will possibly be held in Geneva, Switzerland or Amsterdam, Netherlands, or Russia.

The government, however, will leave the exiles to decide whether they will stay abroad or return to Indonesia. “They may choose, [given that] they already have families there,” said Mahfud.

While the ministers meet the exiles, Jokowi will directly meet the victims of past human rights violation cases in a number of provinces, starting from Aceh, Lampung, to Papua. Mahfud claimed these efforts mean that the government will take care of all victims.

"To give them guarantees that they are Indonesian citizens and have the same rights," said Mahfud.

Mahfud Md revealed the plans after the Team of Non-judicial Settlement of Past Gross Human Rights submitted the report and recommendation to President Jokowi. On January 11, 2023, the President admitted 12 cases of gross human rights violations occurred in the country.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO

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