Indonesian leading gay activist aspires to lead human rights body

Indonesian leading gay activist aspires to lead human rights body

The Jakarta Post, February 07, 2012 

 

Leading gay activist and sociologist Dede Oetomo might be the first known homosexual person to lead the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) if he makes the leadership selection.
Dede, human rights activist Sandyawan Sumardi and former law and human rights director general Hafid Abbas, are among the 363 applicants who aspire to lead the commission.
Sandyawan was a member of the government-appointed fact finding team for the May 1998 riots. The former priest continues to work with the urban poor in South Jakarta.
The selection committee distributed the list of applicants to the press, saying the committee would make a further announcement on the total number of applicants who had passed the administrative selection on Feb. 14.
Selection committee chairman Jimly Asshidiqie said that the selection committee would not consider gender when screening the candidates.
“We consider them all humans with the equal rights to apply,” Jimly told the press Tuesday, stressing competency and other requisites in the screening of applicants.
He acknowledged the possibility of the House of Representatives rejecting such applicants on the basis of their gender. However the minority gender issue “has become a reality in many countries,” he said.
‎‎Only one applicant, Indonesia Transgender Communication Forum chair Yulianus Rettob Laut, listed his gender as transgender. Yulianus filed his application to the Komnas HAM headquarters in Jakarta with about 100 supporters.
During the event, Jimly also expressed his disappointment regarding the small number of female applicants. ‎
“We hoped to get 30 percent of woman commissioners but only 14 women out of 363 applied,” he said.
Activist and land issue researcher ‎Sandra Moniaga is among the woman applicants.
‎One of several expected controversies surrounding the selection is six incumbents among the applicants. The current term under Ifdhal Kasim has been widely criticized for lacking credibility and competence.
‎The House will conduct the final fit and proper test for applicants, scheduled in June or July, before the current Komnas HAM commissioners ends their term in August.
The House will then determine the final number of commissioners. A law mandates up to 35 commissioner candidates to undergo fit and proper tests. However, House Commission III overseeing legal affairs and the selection committee have agreed that the committee will submit 30 names to the House.