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Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Meets Kyai and PBNU Discussing Completion of Human Rights in 1965
PRESS RELEASE No: 210/SP/HM.01.02/POLHUKAM/12/2022 The Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD visited Surabaya today to meet and have dialogue with East Java kiai and Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU). Mahfud came with the Non-Judicial Resolution Team for Serious Human Rights Violations (PP HAM) led by the former Indonesian Ambassador to the United Nations, Makarim Wibisono. “The government is of the view that immediate action must be taken to restore victims’ rights. This team works on behalf of the nation and to free the country from its past hostages. In addition, recognition and recovery efforts from the state are very important for the victims of gross human rights violations,” said Coordinating Minister Mahfud in an audience forum for the PPHAM Team with PBNU and NU clerics throughout East Java, Tuesday 27 December 2022, at the Miftachus Sunnah Islamic Boarding School , Surabaya. Mahfud further emphasized that the team had worked to compile recommendations for the restoration of victims’ rights related to physical rehabilitation, social rights, health insurance, education or other matters for the benefit of victims or their families. At the Pondok Pesantren under the care of Rais Syuriah PBNU Kyai Miftahul Akhyar, Mahfud explained, after the PPHAM Team was formed, there were certain people who believed that the government had no intention of solving it judicially, and this step was considered to be part of reviving the teachings of communism. “In this forum I emphasize that settlements through the judicial route will still be carried out and that is the duty of law enforcers, investigations will be carried out by Komnas HAM, investigations and prosecutions by the Attorney General’s Office, and trials at the Human Rights Court. The government cannot intervene in law enforcement. Meanwhile, the ban on the spread of the ideologies of communism, Marxism and Lenimism as stipulated in TAP MPRS Number XXV/MPRS/1966 is final and cannot be contested again,” said Mahfud in front of the old NU kiai in East Java. PBNU Chairman, KH. Yahya Cholil Staquf appreciates the steps taken by the government and the PPHAM team who have worked to resolve the problem of serious human rights violations from non-judicial channels. “NU has no more worries, especially since the events of 1965 are far away, and there are no people involved, and what to do with them,” said Kiai Yahya. What was done by the government with the PPHAM Team, continued Staquf, needs to be appreciated because this initiative was not carried out because of political pressure from any party. “So what Pak Mahfud said earlier, namely the desire to sacrifice anyone without questioning what happened, is a very good stand point and must be appreciated,” said Kiai Yahya Staquf, who is also a former spokesperson for President Abdurrahman Wahid. In the same forum, Deputy Rais Aam PBNU KH. Anwar Iskandar believes that the decisions and recommendations of the PPHAM Team, which are made up of qualified and independent people, will surely produce strong and neutral decisions. “We have no reason not to accept the results of this PPHAM later, with a note of course that this nation should not be held hostage by past cases which could lead us to be trapped in disintegration,” said Kiai Anwar Iskandar. According to Kiai Anwar, the wounds from the past were very heavy. According to him, in 1948, the clerics were massacred in Madiun. Even in 1965 furtherAnwar, his colleagues from Ansor Muncar were poisoned to death. “That’s an old wound. Therefore, no diction can open old wounds. It must be guaranteed by the PPHAM team so that national unity and integrity are created after all this,” he added, while emphasizing his trust in the figure of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD in providing solutions for nation problem. “Finally, we thank the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs who is NU, from whose amaliayah, ubudiyah, firkah, harakah, we no longer doubt his NU character. Thank you, Mr. Mahfud, for coming to invite great people for a solution to the nation’s problems,” concluded Kiai Anwar Iskandar. Mahfud MD said that the discussion with PBNU and the kiai was the final series of work by the PPHAM Team. The team had previously met and had dialogue with victims, victims’ assistants, experts, the church, MUI, Muhammadiyah, and visited all locations of past gross human rights violations. After this, the team will refine the work results and recommendations, then they will be reported to the President in early 2023. (*)
