Police must pay attention to basic duties: Experts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers told the National Police to stay
\nfocused on its basic law enforcement duties, rather than dealing
\nwith preparatory measures for a total separation from the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) in January 2001.<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post on Thursday and
\nFriday, the observers said the police's failure to enforce the
\nlaw while abandoning its military-style culture would only weaken
\nthe people's trust in the corps, which will celebrate its 54th
\nanniversary on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"The police's separation from the TNI is a long-term project.
\nThe country's condition will worsen in the near future if the
\npolice fail to enforce the law and create order in society.<\/p>\n
\"There are many cases in which the police have been unable to
\narrest and prosecute allegedly guilty people,\" Satjipto Rahardjo,
\na law professor at the Semarang-based Diponegoro University, said
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
He was referring to rampant incidences of street justice in
\nbig cities that the police have remained unable to control and
\nthe fact that they have been unable to bring the suspects to
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Gen. (ret) Banurusman Astrosemitro, former National Police
\nchief, shared Satjipto's opinion, saying that people demanded
\nassurance from the police that guilty parties would receive
\nsentences according to the level of their crimes.<\/p>\n
\"Successful law enforcement occurs only when the police can
\nassure people that there is a certainty of the law in the
\ncountry,\" said Banurusman, who led the police corps from 1993 to
\n1996.<\/p>\n
Banurusman, however, asked people not to merely blame the
\npolice for its failure to enforce the laws.<\/p>\n
\"All parties must continue to help create new laws or improve
\nthe existing ones to give the police legal grounds to enforce
\nthem,\" Banurusman said after a gathering between National Police
\nchief Gen. Rusdihardjo and retired police generals and senior
\nofficers here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Besides improving law enforcement, the observers also called
\non the police to accelerate steps to abandon the military-style
\nculture to promote the protection of human rights in the country.<\/p>\n
No more violence<\/p>\n
The Committee for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) slammed the police for its failure to quit a
\nmilitaristic approach when performing their duties.<\/p>\n
\"Eradicating violence should remain the police's priority in
\ncreating order and security in the country,\" Ikravany Hilman,
\nKontras' deputy coordinator, told a press conference at the
\ncommittee's secretariat in Central Jakarta on Friday.<\/p>\n
A report by Kontras claimed that the police had violated human
\nrights in 149 cases throughout the country from January to June
\nthis year, which involved 509 victims. According to Kontras, 112
\nof these victims are now dead.<\/p>\n
Adnan Pandupraja, secretary-general of the Indonesian Police
\nWatch, said the police's militaristic style still occurred during
\npolice investigations.<\/p>\n
\"The police have often forced suspects to confess their
\nsuspected wrongdoings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, former police chief Gen. (ret) Awaloeddin Djamin
\nsaid an end to the police's militaristic culture is a must.<\/p>\n
\"The police must prove themselves capable of using a civilian
\napproach,\" said Awaloeddin, who led the police corps from 1978 to
\n1982.<\/p>\n
Usman Hamid, a Kontras staff member, said the police must
\nprioritize efforts to eliminate the old culture.<\/p>\n
In its preparation for total separation from the TNI, the
\npolice have outlined a plan to change its ranking structure,
\nabandoning the militaristic ranking style and adopting an
\ninternational police ranking system.<\/p>\n
As of January 2001, the police corps is slated to be
\nsupervised directly by the President.<\/p>\n
Satjipto, however, said the police, who have gained authority
\nsince April last year, should not be part of the state power
\napparatus once it is directly supervised by the President.<\/p>\n
\"The police should be professional, meaning that it must avoid
\ninterference from all parties which may only want to pursue their
\nown political interests,\" he said, while suggesting active
\nparticipation of nongovernmental organizations may be helpful in
\ncontrolling police work under the supervision of the President.
\n(asa)<\/p>",
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