Human Rights Day to Boost Services for Recovering Victims: LPSK

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) said the commemoration of Human Rights Day, on December 10, was a momentum to bolster the government’s contribution to recovery of victims of gross human rights violations.

"The state has been contributing (to the victims’ recovery process) through the LPSK, but it needs to be strengthened by involving all parties," Deputy Chairperson of LPSK Antonius P. S. Wibowo stated on Saturday.

The Government Regulation Number 35 of 2020 on the Amendment to Government Regulation Number 7 of 2018 concerning the Provision of Compensation, Restitution, and Assistance to Witness and Victims has mandated the LPSK to offer rehabilitation to victims of gross human rights violation.

During the period from 2012 to 2021, the agency had carried out 4,567 rehabilitation services for victims of gross human rights violations through medical assistance, psychological rehabilitation, and psychosocial rehabilitation programs.

Medical assistance is offered to restore the survivors’ physical health and to handle the deceased, while psychological rehabilitation is carried out to recover the psychological condition of the victim.

Meanwhile, psychosocial rehabilitation aims to relieve, protect, and recover the victim's physical, psychological, social, and spiritual condition.

So far, the people who received the services were the victims of forced disappearance during the 1965-1966 and 1997-1998 periods, Tanjung Priok riot in 1984, Talangsari incident in 1989, Jambu Keupok tragedy in 2003, Simpang KKA incident in 1999, and Rumoh Geudong tragedy in 1989-1998.

The LPSK deputy chairperson noted that the provision of rehabilitation services does not require any court decision, unlike the disbursement of compensation while referring to Law Number 26 of 2000 on Human Rights Court.

"As of 2021, medical assistance is the most accessed rehabilitation service by the victims," he noted.

Furthermore, the LPSK had issued the Decree of the Chairperson of the LPSK Number: KEP-326/1.5.2/LPSK/07/2021 on Medical Assistance and/or Psychological Rehabilitation for Witnesses and/or Victims.

The regulation provides opportunities to the victims of gross human rights violations who earlier have received medical assistance to seek the same aid again by resubmitting their request through the Medical Assistance Program in collaboration with state-run Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).

ANTARA

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