NGOs subject to law on mass organizations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): All non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are
\nsubject to the 1985 law on mass organizations, Minister of Home
\nAffairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said yesterday.<\/p>\n
By the same token, all NGOs must register with the government,
\nYogie said before attending a cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
\"They have to obtain government recognition and they have to
\nmeet certain requirements stipulated in the 1985 law,\" he said
\nat Bina Graha presidential office.<\/p>\n
His statement came after some NGOs, described by the
\ngovernment as \"problematic\", defied the authority, saying they
\nwere not mass organizations and therefore not subject to the same
\nlaw.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), one of the NGOs
\ntargeted by the government, said the law states that a foundation
\ncan be established by a notary, which is then filed with the
\nMinistry of Justice.<\/p>\n
The 1985 law, according to Yogie, stipulates that the guiding
\nprinciple of NGOs, and mass organizations, must be the state
\nideology Pancasila.<\/p>\n
NGOs must also report all foreign financial support received
\nfrom abroad, he said.<\/p>\n
This clause was drafted into law to ensure foreign funds could
\nnot be used to finance the activities of the opposition groups,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"These criteria are needed to ensure that NGOs stick to the
\nmissions stated in their respective statutes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 1985 law applies to foundations, until Indonesia has a new
\nlaw on foundations, said Sutoyo N.K. Director General of Social
\nand Political Affairs of the Home Affairs Ministry.<\/p>\n
Sutoyo, whose office oversees the registration of mass
\norganizations, said the YLBHI was not yet registered.<\/p>\n
The debate about NGOs was renewed last week after Coordinating
\nMinister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedirman
\nsaid the government was prepared to take action against 32
\n\"problem\" NGOs.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said some NGOs failed to specify the Pancasila as
\ntheir ideology, while others were engaging in illegal activities.
\nThe 32 represents a small minority of the 8,000 Indonesian NGOs,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Attorney General Singgih, who also attended the
\ncabinet meeting, said investigations into the activities of the
\n32 NGOs would begin soon.<\/p>\n
His office has already received the files, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We will investigate all the NGOs, to see whether they are
\nviolating their statutes,\" Singgih said.<\/p>\n
Sutoyo earlier named YLBHI, the National Brotherhood
\nFoundation (YKPK), the Indonesian Prosperous Workers Union
\n(SBSI), the New Masyumi Moslem Organization, the New Indonesian
\nNationalist Party (PNI) and the Pemuda Marhaen Youth
\nOrganization, as some of the targeted NGOs.<\/p>\n
The latest crackdown on NGOs began with the rounding up of
\nleaders of the little-known Democratic People's Party (PRD), in
\nJuly.<\/p>\n
The government said the PRD had communist traits, and blamed
\nthe organization for inciting the July 27 riots that left at
\nleast four people dead. SBSI chairman Muchtar Pakpahan was
\narrested in the wake of the riots and has been charged with
\nsubversion.<\/p>\n
The NGOs have resisted previous government attempts to
\nregulate their activities. They argue that if they must be
\nregulated, it should be by legislation, and not by presidential
\nor ministerial decree or by the 1985 law on mass organizations.
\n(imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-subject-to-law-on-mass-organizations-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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