Indonesia's security law<\/p>\n
Powerful arguments are being raised in Indonesia's ruling
\ncircles in favor of a punitive security law that its advocates
\nsay is necessary to prevent terrorist acts. It will permit
\npreventive detention of persons regarded as threats to state
\nsecurity, an old law with which Singaporeans and Malaysians are
\nfamiliar. The development is inevitable - after the two ruinous
\nexplosions in Bali and Jakarta and numerous smaller blasts all
\nover the country in the past three years, ascribed to terrorist
\ngroups and political activists seeking independence for Papua and
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
When the chief proponents of the law are the defense minister
\nand the coordinating minister for security, and they have the
\nbacking of the country's military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto,
\nit is a reliable bet that the proposal will surface formally
\nsoon. It could be bound for parliamentary approval.<\/p>\n
Those of Indonesia's neighbors with a direct stake in its
\nanti-terrorism campaign - Singapore and Malaysia - will welcome
\nany tightening of its security structure that would help disrupt
\nterrorist plots and recruitments. If it can be accomplished with
\nthe sort of legal muscle being sought, there should be no
\nsqueamishness about acquiring it.<\/p>\n
The military and the police need to show the law will not be
\nused to silence government critics and activists. President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri would be the last person to underestimate
\nthe democratizing instincts that the Indonesian people have
\nacquired after 32 years of president Soeharto's rule, which ended
\nin wild disorder in May 1998.<\/p>\n
Under the next two presidents, B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman
\nWahid, hundreds of prisoners were freed in presidential
\namnesties. The irony is that the repeal in 1999 of Mr. Suharto's
\nanti-subversion law will have come full circle if the current
\nPresident puts down her imprimatur on an updated version. But
\nthese are perilous times.<\/p>\n
-- Straits Times, Singapore<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-security-law-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }