In Indonesia, a country which suffered colonial oppression for centuries, the promotion and protection of all human rights is critically important. Indonesia is at a stage of development that requires increasing focus on its people as both the principal agent and ultimate beneficiary of development. This is why Indonesia, like most developing countries, attaches great importance to the right to pursue development in an environment of peace and national stability. The Vienna Conference on Human Rights supported this concept and reaffirmed the view that the right to development is a universal and inalienable right. This means that poverty, hunger and other denials of economic, social and cultural rights render impossible the full enjoyment of all human rights.

Despite Indonesia’s great progress, there have been expressions of concern by some on alleged violations of human rights in Indonesia. VVhile many of these charges have no basis in fact or have been grossly exaggerated by Indonesia’s detractors, there have been incidents that have set back the Government’s efforts to protect and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms.

When such incidents have occurred, swift action has been taken to correct them and to bring to justice those responsible, be they civilians or military personnel. In addition, Indonesia’s internationally recognized National Commission on Human Rights diligently investigates reports of alleged violations which are, unfortunately, bound to occur in a vast land of 200 million people to address the root and cause of die violations and to protect and promote, in a balanced and equitable way, the human rights of all people. Efforts by Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights have been praised by human rights groups around the world, as has this group’s independence. Although the list of the Commission’s human rights activities is long, several of them have represented considerable achievement including the following:

• At the Commission’s recommendations, the Indonesian Government has agreed to ratify the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
• The Commission regularly investigates incidents involving human rights abuses throughout Indonesia and makes reports on these events, which include recommendations for action to the Government.
• Taking into account Commission recommendations, Indonesia’s Armed Forces have designed a manual containing practical measures and procedures for security personnel on how to handle disturbances and other incidences of violence in full conformity with the universally-recognized human rights norms.
• The Armed Forces headquarters has organized a series of lectures by the National Commission for high-ranking military officers. Information from the lectures has been transformed into technical guidelines in the field of human rights that are being distributed to all military units throughout the country.
• The National Commission has participated in the Armed Forces Staff College, where it has given substantive recommendations now being included in the Armed Forces training curriculum.
• The Commission encourages Indonesian Colleges and Universities to create centers and libraries for human rights studies and has provided financial assistance to the University of Diponegoro in Semarang for this purpose.
• Finally, the Commission works with a number of internationally-noted human rights organizations, including the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of the University of Lund, in organizing seminars and providing various human rights publications for national distribution.

In addition, Indonesia has finalized and is implementing a National Action Plan on Human Rights. Designed to guide the Government in promoting and protecting human rights throughout the country, the Action Plan focuses on three sets of activities: the ratification of international human rights instruments, the dissemination of information and social education on human rights issues, and the implementation of ratified international conventions such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Indonesia follows the strict enforcement of international human rights conventions. For example, the Government fully implements the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which states, "Discrimination against women, denying or limiting as it does their equality of rights with men, is fundamentally unjust and constitutes an offense against human dignity." The convention further guarantees that women enjoy fully the same legal rights as men and states, "All appropriate measures shall be taken to educate public opinion and to direct national aspirations toward the eradication of prejudice and the abolition of customary and all other practices that are based on the idea of inferiority of women." Accordingly, Indonesian law provides full protection for women.

Indonesia also fully implements the Convention on the Rights of the Child which provides full legal protection for children and defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 years. In addition, the Government has also introduced a nine-year compulsory education program, which requires all children between the ages of seven and 15 to attend school. To support this program, the Government started the Foster Parent Program and Working and Study Program. These programs, which target the physical, social and intellectual development of children, have resulted in the dramatic rise of literacy levels across Indonesia.

Indonesia’s rapid development has resulted in dramatically improved health standards for all Indonesians. For evidence, look to the dramatic improvements in infant mortality and average life expectancy. In addition, the Government’s expenditures on education represent between 12 and 18 percent of the overall budget. The result has been rising literacy levels of 90.5 percent in the urban populations and 77.4 percent in the rural areas, according to the 1990 census. This human rights progress did not happen by chance, but rather through very deliberate efforts by the Government to raise the standard of living for all Indonesians.