Government backs reintroduction of security decree<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government supports the reintroduction of a
\n1988 People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree on preemptive
\nsecurity measures into the legislative body's draft of rulings
\nfor next year.<\/p>\n
The decree granted the President the authority to take
\npreemptive measures against security disturbances and subversive
\nactivities. It was adopted as part of Indonesia's Broad
\nGuidelines of State Policies in 1988, but was dropped from the
\n1993 guidelines.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman said yesterday the government must have legal
\ngrounds if it decided to insert the substance of the decree into
\nits drafts of guidelines to be deliberated by MPR next March.<\/p>\n
\"MPR customarily takes stock of its decrees every five years,\"
\nhe said after meeting with the country's best students and
\nlecturers. \"Some decrees need to be maintained, others need to be
\nreviewed or replaced.\"<\/p>\n
Soesilo was commenting on the plan by three political
\norganizations -- the ruling Golkar faction, the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\n-- to include the substance of the 1988 decree into their drafts
\nof the 1998 state guidelines.<\/p>\n
Golkar's election strategist Rully Chairul Azwar was quoted by
\nKompas daily as saying Tuesday that Golkar was considering
\nreintroducing the 1988 decree into its draft of state guidelines.<\/p>\n
PPP and PDI also said they would consider reintroducing the
\nsubstance of the 1988 decree. But political analyst Arbi Sanit of
\nthe University of Indonesia said the motion was a setback to the
\ncountry's democratization.<\/p>\n
If reintroduced, the decree \"would give the President a
\ngreater authority than what the Kopkamtib had in the past,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The now-defunct Kopkamtib (Operational Command for the
\nRestoration of Security and Order) was believed successful in
\nhandling, in the 1970s, major crises that endangered the nation's
\npolitical stability, security and unity. The body was considered
\nvery powerful to the point of causing fear in some people.<\/p>\n
\"At that time, all security problems could be handled quickly
\nand effectively (by the body),\" Armed Forces Chief of
\nSociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid said last
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
Soesilo denied speculation that the motion to reintroduce the
\ndecree would eventually lead to a granting of even greater
\nauthority to the President.<\/p>\n
\"Don't jump to any conclusions. Just wait for MPR's general
\nmeeting next March,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Arbi believed the campaign to have the decree reintroduced had
\nto do with major politically motivated riots that have hit
\nIndonesia since last year.<\/p>\n
One of the worst riots occurred on July 27 last year,
\nfollowing a violent takeover of PDI's headquarters by supporters
\nof a government-backed party faction.<\/p>\n
The government accused the little-known Democratic People's
\nParty for inciting the riot, which, according to the National
\nCommission on Human Rights, claimed at least five lives and
\nresulted in the disappearance of 23 people.<\/p>\n
The country was also rocked by massive rioting during the May
\nelection campaign and general election.<\/p>\n
A devastating riot hit the South Kalimantan town of
\nBanjarmasin at the end of the election campaign last May. The
\nriot left 123 people dead, police said. (imn)<\/p>",
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