The Jakarta Post, July 10, 2007
United Nations high commissioner for rights to tour RI
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour began her
five-day visit to Indonesia during which she is expected to visit Aceh and meet with
the President.
A statement from the United Nations Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator
in Indonesia made available to The Jakarta Post said the visit was aimed at
encouraging the government's efforts to promote and protect human rights at the
national, regional and international levels.
The five-day visit will be the first for Arbour after she received an invitation from the
government.
During her visit, Arbour is expected to hold talks with President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, Justice and Human Rights Minister
Andi Mattalatta and other officials as well as civil society patrons.
On the first day of her visit Arbour will open the 14th annual workshop on the
framework of regional cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights, in
Bali.
The workshop, which runs from Tuesday until Thursday, was jointly organized by the
Foreign Ministry and the UN high commissioner for human rights.
After the workshop, Arbour is scheduled to conduct a field trip to Aceh, where she will
collect first-hand data on the development of the peace process there and examine
post-tsunami recovery efforts.
She will be involved in discussions with Yudhoyono during the last days of her visit.
Arbour is the second UN official to visit the country this year to inquire about the
country's human rights condition.
Early in June, Hina Jilani, the special representative of the UN secretary general on
human rights defenders traveled to Indonesia.
During her visit, Jilani met with Indonesian human rights activists and officials to hear
reports on the country's progress in improving its human rights protection. Jilani also
raised concerns about the unsolved murder of prominent rights campaigner Munir Said
Thalib.
Jilani is expected to report the results of her visit at a 2008 UN Human Rights Council
meeting.
She said that Indonesia had made improvements in human rights as indicated by the
establishment of democratic institutions.
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