Komnas HAM: Reform Has Stalled Since 1998

Twenty-eight years after the fall of the New Order regime, Indonesia stands at a critical juncture, with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asserting that the promised reforms have largely stalled. Commissioner Amiruddin Al Rahab's assessment is stark: the nation has not truly moved beyond its starting point, and the pervasive issue of human rights violations continues unabated. This sentiment, echoed by many Indonesians who yearned for a new era of justice and accountability, paints a grim picture of a reformasi that has failed to deliver on its core promises.

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Reform is a transitional event. In reality, this transition has steered us away from the New Order but has never moved us anywhere else.

The crux of the problem, according to Al Rahab, lies in the persistent lack of legal accountability for the gross human rights violations that marred the New Order era. Without justice for past atrocities, survivors remain trapped in a cycle of trauma, while perpetrators often escape prosecution. This impunity, he argues, has created a psychological deadlock for the public and allowed the aspirations of the Reform movement—to uphold human rights and eradicate corruption—to remain unfulfilled. The state's continued questioning of evidence and reluctance to utilize adequate legal mechanisms further exacerbates the situation, leaving victims in limbo.

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The core issue is the lack of accountability for various human rights violations committed during the New Order regime.

Komnas HAM's own efforts to secure justice have been consistently thwarted by a lack of cooperation from the Attorney General's Office and other state institutions. Case dossiers are frequently rejected, with prosecutors often applying standard criminal law frameworks instead of the specific mandates of the Human Rights Court Law. This bureaucratic friction, exemplified by demands for national identity cards from victims of decades-old abuses or the dismissal of evidence as mere media reports, highlights a fundamental disconnect and a lack of genuine commitment to resolving these historical injustices. From an Indonesian perspective, this ongoing struggle for accountability is not merely a legal or political issue; it is a deeply personal and societal one, reflecting a nation grappling with its past and questioning whether true reform has ever truly taken root.

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If you want evidence, go to court. Evidence can only be tested in court.