ABRI defends police tapping of telephones
ABRI defends police tapping of telephones
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) headquarters defended
yesterday the police plan to access cellular telephone networks
to monitor dissidents and to silence calls which were political
in nature.
Investigations and efforts to preserve security are two
reasons why "police investigators have the authority to tap any
telephone calls," said ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab
Mokodongan at a press conference after the closing of the ABRI
leadership meeting.
He dismissed suggestions that phone-tapping was illegal and a
violation of the subscribers' personal rights.
"It has nothing to do with (the violation of rights) as the
scheme will comply with the existing regulations," he said.
In a meeting with 20 executives from Jakarta-based cellular
phone companies to discuss the security situation in the city,
Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata reportedly demanded
access to cellular telephone networks.
"They (the police) said they want access to the networks and
the ability to listen in on the networks to hear if there are any
rabble-rousers," said one cellular phone company, as quoted by
the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post daily Wednesday.
Jakarta police denied making such demands.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said
yesterday the phone-tapping was not planned for all subscribers.
"The police will tap a telephone call only when there are
indications of crimes," Bachtiar said in a statement, copies of
which were made available to the press yesterday.
Echoing Wahab, Bachtiar said the police were allowed to tap
telephone calls.
He quoted articles 16 (l) and 18 (1) of the 1997 National
Police Law, which guaranteed the police the authority to take any
necessary legal action if they believe a crime was taking place.
Meanwhile, city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said
his office had intensified surveillance of people who were
believed to be involved in making political calls.
"We've been spying on certain places in an attempt to find
these irresponsible people," he said.
He said his office had also intensified its cooperation with
the state-owned telecommunications company to trace the origin of
the calls.
Tension in the country is rising ahead of the general session
of the People's Consultative Assembly next month, with bomb
threats in Medan and Jakarta in the past two weeks.
All proved to be hoaxes, but a month ago a homemade bomb
exploded in a rented apartment in Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta.
One of the alleged bombmakers was arrested, while his two
accomplices were wounded but managed to flee.
The authorities has accused the outlawed Democratic People's
Party (PRD) as behind the bomb-making activities. (imn)