Police chief rejects Gus Dur's order to quit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Surojo Bimantoro rejected
\non Friday an order from President Abdurrahman Wahid to resign,
\nclaiming such action was against existing regulations.<\/p>\n
\"The President has asked me to resign. I will not,\" Bimantoro
\ntold reporters on Friday evening, after an emergency meeting at
\nthe National Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro said that if the President wanted to replace him or
\nassign someone else to take up his responsibilities he was free
\nto do so, provided that Abdurrahman abided by current
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
The regulations state that the House of Representatives (DPR)
\nmust first agree to the appointment or dismissal of the National
\nPolice chief. Abdurrahman had already appointed Bimantoro to
\nreplace Gen. Rusdihardjo, without the blessings of the House.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman rebuked the National Police on Friday morning,
\nover the way in which they handled the violence in Pasuruan, East
\nJava, on May 30, which resulted in the death of a man.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro said that Abdurrahman had asked him about this in a
\nmeeting on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"I told him that unlike in Jakarta, there was chaos throughout
\nPasuruan. My officers were being attacked with machetes... home-
\nmade explosives were being thrown at my men,\" Bimantoro told The
\nJakarta Post at his office on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\"The mobs in Pasuruan vandalized and burned two churches and
\ndamaged a mosque. It was becoming intolerable and I had
\ninstructed my men that should chaos occur, we would first use
\ntear gas and then rubber bullets and if the situation worsened
\nfurther... then use live bullets.\"<\/p>\n
Bimantoro told reporters on Friday evening that in a meeting
\nwith Abdurrahman, the President told him that non-governmental
\norganizations were pressuring Abdurrahman to replace Bimantoro.<\/p>\n
\"The President said that he could not defend me anymore and
\nasked me to hand over my letter of resignation,\" Bimantoro said.<\/p>\n
He added that the President will now appoint a new National
\nPolice deputy chief, who will assume the task of the National
\nPolice chief.<\/p>\n
\"The assignments to the post of National Police chief and
\nNational Police deputy chief must first be approved by a board of
\nhigh-ranking officers,\" Bimantoro said.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro told the Post that in the past month, on almost
\neverything related to security issues, he had consulted with
\noutgoing top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S.<\/p>\n
The possible appointment of a new National Police deputy chief
\nby Abdurrahman, is in contradiction to a presidential decree, on
\nextensive changes in the organizational structure of the National
\nPolice.<\/p>\n
The abolishment of the post of the National Police deputy
\nchief is stipulated in presidential Decree No. 54, issued by
\nAbdurrahman and legalized on April 25 this year.<\/p>\n
The decree, which was issued with the aim to equalize the
\nNational Police with non-ministerial institutions, is scheduled
\nto take affect a week before July 1 this year.<\/p>\n
The post of the National Police deputy chief will be replaced
\nby that of secretary-general.<\/p>\n
New posts created include deputy for operational control;
\ndeputy for human resources; deputy for logistics and deputy for
\npolice education and training. All four deputies are scheduled to
\nreport directly to the National Police chief.<\/p>\n
Chief of the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) elite
\nforces will report to the deputy for operational control.<\/p>\n
\"National Police officers of ranks between adjutant and
\ncommissioner, who do not belong to either the National Police
\nIntelligence or are detectives, will all be reassigned to their
\nnew posts in the provinces,\" Didi told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"Their posts at the National Police will then be filled by
\ncivilians.\" (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-chief-rejects-gus-durs-order-to-quit-1447893297",
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