TEMPO.CO, Probolinggo-Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that there will be no apology from the government on past human rights violations, particularly the 1965 tragedy. Luhut said the statement in the first day of national symposium titled 'Membedah Tragedi 1965, Pendekatan Kesejarahan' (Dissecting 1965 Tragedy, Historical Approach) at Aryaduta Hotel, Central Jakarta, April 18-19, 2016.
“Apologize to whom? Which victim? The government has no intention to apologize to any party whatsoever” Luhut said in the event, Monday, April 18, 2016.
According to Luhut, the government has an interest to resolve human rights violations, including to formulate the chronology of the past events. “We have regerts, indeed, for what have transpired at the time. We will also listen to feedbacks arise in the symposium.”
Head of the executive committee of the symposium, Susilo Suryo, said the event will be attended by 200 participants, which consist of academicians, victims of gross human right violations, representatives of political parties, mass organizations and social organizations working in the field of human rights. “The symposium is expected to be the end of the case which has sparked controversies in the past fifty years,” Suryo said, Monday, April 17, 2016.
The symposium is held by joint committee from Political Science Department of Gadjah Mada University, Udayana University, Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University, Center for Democracy and Human Rights Study (PUSDEMA), Center for Human Rights Study of Islamic University of Indonesia, Institute for Peace and Democracy, the Forum for the Friendship of the Nation’s Child (Forum Silaturahmi Anak Bangsa), in cooperation with the Coordinating Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs as well as the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and Indonesia’s Press Council.
YOHANES PASKALIS
