House vows to finalize terror law this month<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives (DPR) pledged on Tuesday to complete
\nthe deliberations of two bills on terrorism in the current
\nsitting as part of their support of the country's antiterrorism
\ndrive.<\/p>\n
The two bills, submitted last week, will be the enactment of
\ntwo government antiterrorism regulations in lieu of law, which
\nwere hastily created as a response to the Oct. 12 Bali bombing.
\nWhen they become laws they will replace the current regulations.<\/p>\n
Barlianta Harahap of the United Development Party (PPP) said
\nTuesday that his faction would make the terrorism bills a top
\npriority.<\/p>\n
\"We have to put those bills as the top priority because this
\nnation is in urgent need of a terrorism law,\" said Barlianta who
\nchairs the PPP faction.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) faction Roy B.B. Janis, meanwhile, appealed to other
\nfactions to seriously discuss the bills.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the deliberations of those bills will be completed in
\nthis sitting period,\" Roy told the press.<\/p>\n
The current sitting will end on Nov. 29.<\/p>\n
Roy expressed his hope that the bills would be discussed by a
\nspecial committee rather than by a team of joint legislators from
\ndifferent commissions.<\/p>\n
The government submitted the bills last Thursday to provide a
\nstrong legal foundation for law enforcers in dealing with
\nsuspected terrorist groups which had already created havoc to the
\ncountry's economy with the Oct. 12 Bali blasts that killed more
\nthan 190 people and injured over 300 others.<\/p>\n
In a letter accompanying the bills, President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri urged legislators to speed up the deliberations of
\nthe drafts.<\/p>\n
\"Those bills should be the top priority of the House's
\nlegislation,\" Megawati's message stated.<\/p>\n
In the letter, Megawati assigned Minister of Justice and Human
\nRights Yusril Ihza Mahendra to discuss the bills with the
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
According to Barliantan, the need to immediately discuss the
\nterrorism bills was also mandated by a decree of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) No.VI\/MPR\/2002.<\/p>\n
The decree said that along with DPR, the president should
\nenact an antiterrorism law in which its definition and imperative
\naction would emphasize the sovereignty of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Secretary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction Amin
\nSaid Husni echoed a similar sentiment, saying that he hoped the
\nHouse could soon start deliberations.<\/p>\n
Deputy House speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, who presided
\nover the plenary meeting, said that the bills would later be
\npresented to the House steering committee for further
\ndeliberation.<\/p>\n
The 76-member House steering committee, which is scheduled to
\nconvene on Thursday, will later set up a special committee to
\ndeal to work on the bills and arrange the schedule for
\ndeliberations.<\/p>\n
A number of pro-democracy activists have warned of possible
\nabuses of the laws by law enforcers in relation to the new laws.<\/p>\n
They argued that excessive authority given to security
\npersonnel as stipulated in the bills would seriously threaten the
\ncountry's young, fragile democracy.<\/p>\n
It will, for example, allow law enforcers and intelligence
\nagents to search an individual's or a group's mail, and to tap
\ntelephone conversations or other forms of communication for up to
\none year.<\/p>\n
They also object to the use of intelligence information to
\ndetain and prosecute suspected terrorists, fearing that it could
\nbe abused to crack down on political opponents or government
\ncritics.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-vows-to-finalize-terror-law-this-month-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}