Experts call for restraint on subversion law<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Well-known legal experts Satjipto Rahardjo and
\nMuladi are worried about the government's threat to use the
\nsubversion law against alleged inciters of the July 27 riot in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
In separate interviews with The Jakarta Post yesterday, they
\nsaid that the law should be scrapped because it is outdated and
\nallows violations of human rights.<\/p>\n
They stressed that as the law stands it should be used
\nselectively for political crimes such as undermining the state
\nideology Pancasila.<\/p>\n
\"As long as a crime can be handled with the criminal code, the
\nuse of the subversion law should be avoided,\" Muladi said.<\/p>\n
Both Muladi and Satjipto are senior teachers at Semarang's
\nDiponegoro University and members of the Jakarta-based National
\nCommission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Muladi said the commission's recent call for the abolition of
\nthe subversion law received an enthusiastic response from the
\npublic but got a cold reaction from the government.<\/p>\n
The July 27 riot, which claimed at least three lives and
\nmaterial losses of about Rp 200 billion (US$85 million), has been
\nblamed on the little-known leftist Democratic People's Party
\n(PRD).<\/p>\n
Ten key activists of the group, including its chairman Budiman
\nSudjatmiko, were arrested in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, in a
\nmidnight raid on Sunday on their hiding place.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Armed Forces Amir Syarifudin said that from
\nthe documents seized from the activists, there was a \"clear
\nindication\" that PRD has a lot in common with the outlawed
\nIndonesian Communist Party.<\/p>\n
Muladi said the July 27 riot has reasserted the need for the
\ngovernment to maintain the law, which was last used six years ago
\nagainst a man falsifying tote coupons.<\/p>\n
The authorities have to study PRD's declaration before they
\nlevel subversion charges against the \"party's\" activists, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Satjipto said that even though the law has not been scrapped,
\nas its critics have persistently demanded, law enforcers should
\napply it very cautiously.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that people's main objection to the law is the
\n\"elasticity\" of its articles that allows the authorities to use
\nthem for any crimes.<\/p>\n
\"The law should be used only for major political crimes,\" he
\nsaid. He pointed out that the law was made decades ago when the
\nsituation was \"completely different\" from now.<\/p>\n
\"From the human rights point of view, the law is very
\ndefective and therefore the National commission on Human Rights
\nhas proposed it be scrapped,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that he does not question the substance of the
\nsubversion law. It is the way the articles are formulated, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
At a separate occasion, Attorney General Singgih acceded that
\nIndonesian law enforcement has been under public scrutiny.<\/p>\n
He said in the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura that the
\n\"behavior\" of some law enforcers has tarnished the image of
\nIndonesian law enforcement, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
\"As law enforcers, they should have set good examples instead
\nof trampling on the law,\" he said when installing the new Irian
\nJaya high court justice Soleman Andi Lolo. His statement was read
\nout by Ismu Djoko, his deputy on general criminal affairs.<\/p>\n
Singgih also admitted that legal development lags behind the
\ndevelopment of other sectors. (har\/pan)<\/p>",
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