The results of a survey conducted by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has revealed that the level of public awareness regarding human rights has continued to improve in the country.
“This shows that Komnas HAM’s hard work in carrying out its mandate has received a positive and good response from the public,” Komnas HAM chairman Ahmad Taufan Damanik said here on Thursday.
The commission recently completed a national survey entitled ‘National Survey of Community Views on the Right to Justice in Indonesia,’ which involved 1,200 respondents spread over 34 provinces.
The survey aimed to find out the achievements and challenges of protecting and fulfilling the right to justice in the country, he said.
According to the survey, public satisfaction with Komnas HAM’s performance has increased rapidly from 60 percent in 2020 to 73 percent in 2021.
“This serves as an encouragement (for Komnas HAM) to work even better for the promotion and enforcement of human rights in the future,” Damanik remarked.
The survey also shows that most respondents understand that the Constitution and the law protect the right to justice.
In addition, most respondents chose Komnas HAM, apart from legal aid providers, religious/customary leaders, as the agency for submitting complaints when they experienced unfair treatment, he said.
Most respondents were aware of the state’s obligation for providing legal aid to every citizen in need, Damanik disclosed.
However, the education level and socioeconomic class generally affected the level of awareness in this regard, he added.
A significant number of respondents found decisions in corruption and hate speech cases as unfair. Most respondents said they found access to legal services easy, but there were still some who had not, especially those in western Indonesia, he added.
Meanwhile, respondents with high educational backgrounds and social class tended to be dissatisfied with the apparatus’ performance in protecting the right to justice, he noted.
In addition, they revealed that they are often discriminated against during legal proceedings and have heard about or been charged unofficial fees during legal proceedings, he said.
Source: Antara News