Jokowi and his sweet promises to resolve human rights issues 

With two years left before his presidential term ends, Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo resurrected his old promise to resolve past human rights abuses.

In his August annual speech during Indonesia's Independence Day, he said he had signed a Presidential Decree to form a team for non-judicial settlements of past human rights violations.

Indonesia has had 12 cases of gross human rights violations in the past, including the anticommunist mass killings in the late 1960s that followed a failed coup that killed six military generals on 30th September 1965. The nation commemorates the crack down against the putsch every first of October. 

Many are quite sceptical about Jokowi's latest move. He had made this promise eight years ago, just before he became president. Resolving the country's past human rights abuses had been one of Jokowi's cards in winning the 2014 presidential campaign. People were hopeful with Jokowi. His non-military background was expected to bring a fresh approach to entangling past human rights cases. 

However, his promise has remained a promise. He hadn't made any actions until his recent move to form the non-judicial team. Why now?

Human rights experts and activists have questioned his motives. They are also unsure whether this is the right approach to restore justice for victims.   

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