Two vice chairmen of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission are under police investigation for alleged abuse of authority. Yet lawyers and activists have widely criticized the investigation of Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Riyanto, suggesting the two are being persecuted because the police hope to weaken the commission and undermine its effective anti-corruption efforts.

September is a busy month for Indonesia, as it is for other Muslim nations around the globe. With the Islamic holy month of Ramadan winding up, and the Idul Fitri celebrations beginning, Jakarta literally emptied overnight and the city ground to a halt as a week of public holidays ensued. With services interrupted or closed altogether, and the working week broken up by celebrations and fast-breaking events, it is with especially great pleasure that we can present this month’s edition of CAVEAT right on time and to the same standard you have come to expect. We were not the only ones rushing to meet deadlines this month. With the current House of Representatives nearing the end of its working term, and the deadline for passing certain crucial bills on the horizon, this edition focuses on the downfalls of the ongoing deliberation process and the key concerns we have with some of the key legislation. The main report will examined the problems with rushing unfinished bills through parliament, including the impact of ignoring public concerns surrounding the law making process.

The recent decision of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a prosecutor to investigate allegations of torture by the country’s Central Intelligence Agency during its interrogations of terror suspects is commendable. This action demonstrates the strong commitment of U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration to end the use of brutal interrogation techniques against prisoners and detainees, and to hold responsible those guilty of using such techniques. It is also a step forward to ensure that such evil practices do not recur. On a global scale, hopefully this important measure will send the message that torture is a despicable crime that is morally wrong and clearly illegal.

This month, as Indonesia celebrates 64 years since independence, CAVEAT is proud to release its third edition. As a very young publication, CAVEAT has been enjoying positive feedback from its readers as well as some constructive criticism. We are reaching a wider audience than ever and are very pleased to continue providing a quality report for our loyal readers. This month, we want to examine three crucial human rights matters which are currently being intensely debated not only at the national level but also on a global scale. These are counterterrorism and the protection of human rights, global AIDS strategies and the implications for human rights and the ongoing crime of torture.

In a closed environment it is observed that detainees feel powerless to deal with the police. So victims and their families and relatives prefer bribing the police to escape torture instead of pursuing justice the legal way. The bribes continue, although the reward is only temporary. It is believed that paying bribes neither ends a victim’s suffering nor decreases the attacks. Rather, bribes simply institutionalize the practice of torture. This phenomenon occurs as a result of social behavior when dealing with torture cases. Bribing an officer to end torture creates negative repercussions in the fight against torture. By bribing a law enforcement officer, torture victims and their families constantly provide them financial benefits or incentives. This relationship substantiates one of the key difficulties in fighting torture.