CHRM2 in cooperation with Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Surabaya holds a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Human Rights on Friday, 15 September 2017. Under the theme “the protection and fulfillment of the right of vulnerable groups in Jember and its relation to the right to legal aid”, it highlights some strategic issues in Jember. The event invites the presenters CHRM2 and LBH Surabaya by highlighting different perspectives.
Abdul Fatah as the first presenter in this discussion told that it should be regarded as the initial discussion to map human rights issues in Jember and specifically it needs to deal with how citizens to get access to legal aid in Jember. He argues that legal aid can be effectively given to citizens by promoting the function of regional legal aids. Such participation to serve legal aid is strongly needed in view of some human rights violation in Jember dealt with issues of, for instance, women and children, and intolerance under religious backdrop.
In this discussion, Al Khanif responds the issues of human rights in a broad perspective, nationally and internationally, with specific issues of the right to religion. In this regard, he reiterated some persecution where religion is contested to human rights. For instance, the issues of LGBT in which state should see it in a position of respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights, not deal with certain religion. This asserts that the issue does not pertain to the religion issue, but to address that each person has a dignity as human and freedom of religion. Additionally, he relates the issues of refugee that Indonesia needs to take a position how to ensure the state responsibilities in human rights.
The last speaker, Dina Tsalist Wildana, takes a note on women and children rights. He argues that Jember still has a high number of child marriage and the state need to take measure to this issue. She tells that the high number of child marriage can be easily found in village areas where education could not easily be accessed by citizens.
For your information, the discussion is mainly coordinated by LBH Surabaya in cooperation with CHRM2. Jember is mapped as one of the areas in East Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Malang.