Open Letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs

We, human rights organizations and government research institution, which have concern on human rights, urge the Indonesian government to support the establishment of Inquiry Mechanism by United Nations which purpose is to investigate the occurring human rights violations in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

We the undersigned here urge Indonesian government to support the establishment of an inquiry mechanism on human rights abuses in North Korea. This is a solidarity call to welcome a recommendation which is made by the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Marzuki Darusman in his report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva-Switzerland.

In his official report, Marzuki Darusman (February 2013) concludes a wide range of human violation in North Korea. This situation is indicated by the extensive use of political prison camps, poor prison conditions, prisoners being subjected to forced labor, torture and corporal punishment. The allegation of human rights violations are categorized in nine key inter-linked issues which strongly indicating a serious human rights crime, in the form of violation of the right to food, torture, arbitrary detention, discrimination extensive violation of freedom of expression, the right to life, restrictions on freedom of movement and abusive treatment of citizens forcibly returned, and the last but not least is enforced disappearances.

The denial from the government of North Korea is so blatant, which can be seen in the total rejection from the government to take any of the recommendation under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) upon this country, which took place in 2009. In fact, UN Special Rapporteur on North Korea noted that this government is ‘the first State to not accept any recommendation’.

The findings which reported by the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korea really shows the need for international response. Therefore, as a solidarity message to all human rights victims in North Korea, Â Â we support the recommendation made by UN Special Rapporteur on North Korea to establish an inquiry mechanism to investigate and to examine human situation in that country. Thus, we also urge the government Indonesia to support the establishment of an inquiry mechanism on the Democratic People’s Republic of the inquiry mechanism through establishment of the Commission of Inquiry. Not only that, we also urge the government of Indonesia to use its diplomatic influence to get broader international support for recovering human rights situation in North Korea.

As part of an international subject, we asses that the Indonesian government has an obligation to participate in maintaining world peace as it is stated in Indonesia’s constitution. Due to this, Indonesia should play an active role in initiating, creating and realizing progressive steps between countries in order to achieve world peace, one of which is obtaining peace for the people of North Korea. This is certainly consistent with the active role that had been taken by the government of Indonesia in several key positions such as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, member of the Human Rights Council as well as several other key positions at the international level.

Jakarta, 7th March 2013

KontraS, Komnas Perempuan, P2P LIPI, Imparsial and Forum Asia.