Legislators split over idea to scrap subversion law<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators were split into opposing camps
\nyesterday over the National Commission on Human Rights' proposal
\nto scrap the controversial subversion law.<\/p>\n
Advocating the law is Soesanto Bangoennagoro of the Golkar
\nruling political organization. But he emphasized that the law
\nshould be open for revision.<\/p>\n
Marcel Beding of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nsupports the idea that the law, which the government passed in
\n1963 without the House of Representatives' approval, must be
\ndumped because it encourages violations of human rights.<\/p>\n
Soesanto said the law has proven effective to suppress moves
\nto undermine the state ideology Pancasila. \"To scrap it would
\nrepresent too radical an action,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He attributed the \"success\" in putting down the well-known
\n1965 coup attempt by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to the
\ndisputed law.<\/p>\n
The human rights commission recommended last week that the
\ngovernment drop the law because it hampers democratization,
\nincreasingly demanded by the Indonesian public.<\/p>\n
After reviewing the law for over a year, the commission
\nconcluded that it contradicts the universal norms for human
\nrights and is incompatible with the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
Numerous government and military officials have voiced their
\nobjection to the commission's proposals while human rights
\ncampaigners are voicing their support.<\/p>\n
Soesanto said he would agree if the law's chapters on economic
\ncrimes be dropped because they are no longer relevant to
\nincreasingly liberal global economic activities.<\/p>\n
\"But there are no other laws which deal with matters like
\nattempts to topple the government or undermine Pancasila,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soesanto is Indonesia's first prosecutor whose demand for the
\ndeath penalty for a man charged with subverting the state economy
\nin 1964 was accepted by court.<\/p>\n
In his opinion, the demand to drop the subversion law does not
\nhave a sound basis because the Soeharto government rarely applies
\nit and arbitrary arrests are not made.<\/p>\n
The maximum penalty of death, as the law mandates, is still
\nrelevant. \"Even countries which have abolished the death penalty
\nare contemplating reinstatement. The U.S., which claims to be the
\nchampion of democracy still has it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Marcel pointed out that the subversion law shows
\nthat the government does not have self-confidence in safeguarding
\nthe nation's integrity.<\/p>\n
\"The republic is a lot more stable nowadays than it was when
\nthe law was made,\" he said. \"Every government and military
\nofficial takes pride in assuring the public of its stability.\"<\/p>\n
He argued that the Criminal Code is a sufficient legal base
\nfor the government to maintain security and order.<\/p>\n
Sudomo, chief of the Supreme Advisory Council, implied that
\nthe law is no longer relevant when he said that the law could be
\nrevised but not scrapped, Marcel said.<\/p>\n
Sudomo, a confidante of President Soeharto and a former chief
\nof the Internal Security Agency (Kopkamtib), said Tuesday he was
\nopposed to any idea to drop the subversion law.<\/p>\n
Marcel, a House member from Commission I overseeing security
\nand defense, said it is unlikely that Indonesia will face a
\nmilitary threat from another country in the next 20 years.<\/p>\n
Human rights commission activists have found fundamental
\nweaknesses in the subversion law, which encourages violations of
\npeople's basic rights.<\/p>\n
For example, the law allows the Attorney General's Office to
\ndetain anyone suspected of subverting the government for up to
\none year.<\/p>\n
It also empowers the authorities to seize objects whether or
\nnot they belong to a suspect, a ruling considered contradictory
\nto the principle of presumption of innocence guaranteed by the
\nCriminal Code. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-split-over-idea-to-scrap-subversion-law-1447893297",
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