Gus Dur, activist reject Antiterorism Law revision<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A former Indonesian president and human rights activists
\nexpressed opposition on Saturday to government plans to revise
\nthe antiterrorism law, saying the move, which would allow the
\nIndonesian military (TNI) greater power to curb terrorism, was
\nprone to human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
\"Law No. 15\/2003 on terrorism is already adequate to tackle
\nthe threats of terrorism. Security agencies, including police and
\nTNI intelligence should improve their performance, not change the
\nlaw,\" said former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, also the
\nformer chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest
\nMuslim organization with over 40 million members.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur was speaking to reporters after addressing a
\ndiscussion organized by the Institute for Social and Economic
\nResearch, Education, and Information.<\/p>\n
His comments were made after Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced
\nlast Thursday that the government was planning to revise the
\nantiterrorism law.<\/p>\n
Susilo, a retired Army general, said the law needed revision
\non the grounds that it had hampered security agencies from taking
\npreemptive measures against terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n
The government has been criticized for its failure to detect
\nand prevent the JW Marriot Hotel terrorist attack, which left at
\nleast 12 people dead and another 147 injured early this month.<\/p>\n
The National Intelligence Agency (BIN), which is in charge of
\ncoordinating the country's antiterror campaign, had said that it
\nknew that attacks were planned but was powerless to act as
\nexisting laws did not allow it to take preemptive measures.<\/p>\n
The government wanted to revise the law to allow the TNI to
\nplay a greater role in fighting terror. The TNI, which dominated
\nthe country's political scene for more than three decades under
\nthe authoritarian leadership of former president Soeharto, is
\ngenerally believed to have the best intelligence in the country.<\/p>\n
Separately, human rights activist Hendardi said the planned
\nrevision was merely a government trick to divert attention from
\nthe fact that security authorities had failed to prevent
\nterrorist attacks in the country.<\/p>\n
\"The government must admit that security authorities have
\nfailed to anticipate the terrorist attacks. Instead of covering
\nup the fact, the government should move ahead to enhance the
\nability of security agencies to help tackle the threats of
\nterrorism.\"<\/p>\n
Hendardi told The Jakarta Post that aside from poor equipment
\nand poor professionalism, security agencies lacked coordination
\namong themselves.<\/p>\n
\"The intelligence and police force have poor team work. Even
\nworse, intelligence, spearheaded by the TNI, is often caught in
\ncovert competition with the police force, making their counter-
\nterrorism work largely ineffective,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hendardi said the lack of coordination should be addressed,
\nnot the existing law.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said police and intelligence agents must involve the
\npublic in tackling the threats of terrorism.<\/p>\n
Separately, human rights activist Asmara Nababan expressed
\nconcern over the possible inclusion of draconian articles in any
\nrevised antiterrorism law.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-activist-reject-antiterorism-law-revision-1447893297",
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