NGOs call for government supervision<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Six non-government organizations urged the House
\nof Representatives yesterday to introduce legislation to regulate
\ntheir activities in the interests of clarity.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the six NGOs made the request while meeting
\nwith the House's Commission I to discuss their affairs.<\/p>\n
Rasyid Emilly, the spokesman for the delegation, even
\nsuggested that the proposed legislation give the government
\ncontrol over the activities of the organizations.<\/p>\n
"There is no consensus among the NGOs about how we should
\nconduct our activities. So, we need somebody to regulate our
\nactivities and there's no better choice than the government for
\nthe job," Rasyid told reporters after the hearing.<\/p>\n
Rasyid said that his views, including his wish for government
\nregulation, reflected the sentiments of a majority of Indonesia's
\nNGOs. He added that there would not be more than 20 organizations
\nopposed to such legislation.<\/p>\n
"Those are the big NGOs. The small NGOs like ours are willing
\nto cooperate with the government on regulating the NGOs," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"This is for the NGOs' own sake, because legislation would
\ngive them legal certainty," he added.<\/p>\n
Rasyid was present as a representative the Eksponen '66, a
\nsocio-political NGO. The other five organizations which took part
\nin the hearing were Swadaya Masyarakat Jaya (politics), Bangun
\nPutra Bangsa (labor affairs), Ekanusa (environment), Dinamika
\nPers (press affairs) and Bina Mandiri (rehabilitation of
\nprostitutes).<\/p>\n
Separately, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation took issue
\nwith Rasyid's estimate of the number of NGOs opposed to such
\nlegislation.<\/p>\n
"In Jakarta alone, there are more than 10 who are opposed to
\nthe idea," the foundation's staff member Nugraha Katjasungkana
\ntold the Jakarta Post. "There are a lot more outside the capital.<\/p>\n
"As long as the executive branch in this country continues to
\ndominate the decision making process while the legislative branch
\nis weak and does not truly represent the people, a regulation
\nthat restricts NGO is unnecessary. It would only restrict the
\nNGOs," he said.<\/p>\n
More importantly, he said, there ought to be a consensus among
\nNGOs about whether or not there should be such legislation. He
\nadded that calls for government regulation usually came from
\norganizations known in NGO circles as "GONGO" (government NGOs)
\nbecause of their close links with the government.<\/p>\n
Members of Commission I were not enthusiastic about the
\nproposal for legislation regulating the activities of NGOs.<\/p>\n
The ruling Golkar faction's Krissantono dismissed the issue as
\nbeing without urgency.<\/p>\n
"It (legislation) would only limit the NGOs room for maneuver.
\nIt is enough already if they just abide by the Pancasila ideology
\nand the 1945 Constitution," he said. "It would also cause a bad
\nimage for the Indonesian government abroad," he added.<\/p>\n
Currently, NGOs' activities are regulated by a decree of the
\nMinister of Home Affairs. They are also subject to the 1985 Law
\non Mass Organizations.<\/p>\n
Rasyid said there were about 11,000 NGOs in Indonesia but that
\nonly about 4,000 of them were registered with the ministry.<\/p>\n
The government brought up the idea of a presidential decree to
\nregulate NGOs last year, but dropped quickly dropped it in the
\nface of stiff opposition from powerful NGOs.<\/p>\n
There has been concern in some official circles about the
\ngrowing visibility and influence of Indonesia's NGOs. However,
\nJakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Wiranto said last month that
\nit was naive to label NGOs troublemakers, contending that they
\nperformed useful services for society. (06)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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