Govt opts for 'humane' spy bill<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The defense ministry is preparing a revision of the draft bill on
\nintelligence, as the initial draft was criticized for being
\ndetrimental to human rights protection in the country.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said he was in
\nconsultation with members of public, including scholars, to
\nproduce a brand new draft, which he said would be \"more humane\"
\nthan the old one proposed during the previous administration.<\/p>\n
\"Between 2000 and 2003, the public was very responsive to the
\ngovernment's move to formulate a bill on intelligence. Rights
\nactivists stood against it because the bill granted greater
\npowers to intelligence officers while carrying out their jobs,\"
\nJuwono said after a closed-door meeting with a group of scholars.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the state intelligence bill, which the
\ngovernment has dropped due to mounting opposition from a variety
\nof critical groups. Juwono said the old bill was prone to civil
\nrights abuses.<\/p>\n
Should the House of Representatives endorse the old bill, it
\nwould give the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to power to
\nintervene in the work of the police and allow for the use of
\nintelligence reports as prima facie evidence, which would thus be
\nadmissible in a court of law.<\/p>\n
\"I must emphasize that such a bill neither came from this
\noffice nor the BIN office. I don't know who proposed it,\" Juwono
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
\"My policy now is to invite officials and experts from related
\ninstitutions, including BIN, to formulate together a new draft,
\nwhich represents democratic circumstances and respects human
\nrights.\"<\/p>\n
The scholars proposed to Juwono on Thursday a draft that
\nclearly stipulates a chain of responsibility to prevent superiors
\nfrom abusing their power or evading justice. Even the president
\ncan be questioned in connection with an intelligence operation,
\naccording to the draft.<\/p>\n
\"We need intelligence services. However, they should not
\nnegatively impact on the public, at large. Furthermore, the
\ngovernment must provide a clear mechanism of punishment instead
\nof granting impunity to intelligence officers,\" one of the
\nscholars, Eddy Prasetyono of the Centre for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS), said.<\/p>\n
The bill demands the establishment of a new agency tasked with
\nmonitoring and coordinating intelligence activities and reporting
\nany progress of the activities to the president.<\/p>\n
Called the Coordinating Institute of National Intelligence
\n(LKIN), the new body supervises all the country's intelligence
\nauthorities ranging from the National Intelligence Agency (BIN)
\nto intelligence units attached to certain ministries.<\/p>\n
The scholars suggested that the agency be led by a civilian.<\/p>\n
Other experts attending the meeting with Juwono were
\ncriminologist Adrianus Meliala and military analysts Ikrar Nusa
\nBhakti of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Kusnanto
\nAnggoro and Andi Widjajanto, both from CSIS.<\/p>\n
They have recently formed the Center for Global and Civil
\nSociety Studies (Pacivis).<\/p>\n
Their draft provides a mechanism of control over all
\nintelligence activities, which enables intelligence officers to
\nask for a clarification directly from their superiors \"if they
\nconsider their duties vulnerable to human rights violations or
\nabuses of power.\"<\/p>\n
It also emphasizes that any intelligence activity conform with
\nthe state's policies, which thus gives the executive branch the
\nright to access and monitor the activities.<\/p>\n
Participation by the legislature is part of the mechanism of
\ncontrol, especially for budget approval on intelligence
\noperations and the establishment of a monitoring commission.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-opts-for-humane-spy-bill-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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