Police 'must be separated from ABRI'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
\nrecommended yesterday that the police be separated from the Armed
\nForces so it could be independent and be in a better position to
\nserve and protect the public.<\/p>\n
The rights body told the House of Representatives' Commission
\nI for defense and security, foreign affairs, information and
\nlegal affairs, that the police should no longer be the "political
\ntool" of the government and the Armed Forces (ABRI).<\/p>\n
"People everywhere demand that their police be really
\nprofessional in serving and protecting the public, instead of
\nbeing a mere security tool of the power holder," said commission
\nmember Satjipto Rahardjo.<\/p>\n
Satjipto was accompanied by his colleagues Marzuki Darusman,
\nBaharuddin Lopa, Clementino dos Reis Amaral, Koesparmono Irsan,
\nAlbert Hasibuan and B.N. Marbun.<\/p>\n
Satjipto, who is a law professor at Diponegoro University in
\nSemarang, Central Java, said the police must now end their
\nmilitaryesque way of handling problems.<\/p>\n
He said out the police should follow a doctrine that is
\nentirely different from that of the military.<\/p>\n
"The military's doctrine is to crush enemies while the
\npolice's should be to protect and serve the public," Satjipto
\nsaid. "The police will never become professional unless it
\nfollows its own doctrine."<\/p>\n
Satjipto criticized the police academy for not conducting a
\n"genuine police education," saying it stresses military doctrines
\nmore than a police doctrine.<\/p>\n
Satjipto therefore said the police should be given rights to
\ndesign their own education programs.<\/p>\n
He recounted how he was once told by a police cadet that the
\nlatter was only taught to slap people's faces during the first
\nyear in the academy.<\/p>\n
The police should now be freed from all interference from the
\ngovernment and the Armed Forces, he said, and called on both
\nparties to stop "meddling" in police affairs.<\/p>\n
Koesparmono said the police should develop three basic
\nprinciples: fighting crime, keeping people out of jail and loving
\nhumanity.<\/p>\n
"Good police must be able to keep people out of jail, not put
\nas many people as they can into jail," Koesparmono, a retired
\ntwo-star police general, said.<\/p>\n
Under the current system, the police are incorporated into
\nABRI along with the Army, Navy and Air Force.<\/p>\n
The police have found themselves on the receiving end of
\nincreasingly strong criticism, particularly over their way of
\nhandling unrest and rioting.<\/p>\n
Given their position as the first layer of security, police
\nhave often been involved in clashes with civilian demonstrators
\nover many issues over the past three years.<\/p>\n
Eighteen members of the Jakarta Police force are currently
\nfacing a court martial for their alleged involvement in the fatal
\nshootings of four Trisakti University's students on May 12 which
\nled to widespread riots in Jakarta. Almost 1,200 people were
\nkilled in the unrest that also caused Rp 2.5 trillion (US$216
\nmillion) in material losses.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights, however, said the
\npolice were not using live ammunition during the incident.<\/p>\n
Lawyers representing the police also believe that the police
\nhave been made a scapegoat by other parties.<\/p>\n
The commission also told the hearing presided over by Aisyah
\nAminy that a rally bill being prepared by the House should be
\ndrafted in the spirit of freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
"There must be one clause which stipulates that the police's
\nrole in a rally is only to facilitate the protesters," Marzuki
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also called on the House and the government to keep in
\ntheir minds that now, in the reform era, laws must be established
\nin order to limit the power of the government.<\/p>\n
In the past, he said, "laws were drafted only to perpetuate
\nthe power of the government." (byg)<\/p>",
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