NGOs against anti-terrorism bill<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations urged the government on Friday
\nto halt the drafting of an anti-terrorism act, which they feared
\nwould pose a threat to democracy due to its ambiguous definition
\nof terrorism.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute
\nFoundation (YLBHI) and the Institute for Policy Research and
\nAdvocacy (Elsam) said that a better alternative would be for the
\ngovernment to formulate a clear-cut national concept on defense
\nand security to deal with terroristic acts.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a discussion, YLBHI head of civil and political
\nrights division, Munarman, pointed out that the substance of what
\nthe government defined as terrorism is already contained in the
\nexisting Criminal Code and the emergency law.<\/p>\n
"The anti-terrorism definition is not necessary if the
\ngovernment upholds the implementation of the existing laws.<\/p>\n
"If the government continues drafting laws to accommodate the
\ndrive against terrorism, then it would be better off to draw up a
\nconcept of national defense," Munarman said.<\/p>\n
Article 1 of the bill, still being hammered out by the
\ngovernment's drafting team, states that terrorism constitutes any
\nactivity using violence or threats based on political motives.<\/p>\n
This includes endangering other people's lives, destroying
\nproperty, obstructing freedoms or creating panic amongst the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
The bill also states that there should be an anti-terrorism
\ntask force with broad authority to investigate using a system of
\ninterrogation, whereby suspects have neither the right to an
\nattorney, nor the right to contact any other people.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, political observer Arbi Sanit, said that the
\npublic should be aware that these laws could be used by the
\ngovernment to suppress people's political awareness.<\/p>\n
Under this law, he added, people's demands or protests against
\ngovernment policies -- or demands by any region or province for
\nindependence -- could be classified as terrorist activities with
\npolitical intention.<\/p>\n
"Kidnapping for ransom, or detonating grenades without clear
\ndemands, according to the bill, would not be categorized as acts
\nof terrorism -- the public should urge the formation of a law to
\navoid engineered charges," by authorities, he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-against-anti-terrorism-bill-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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