Activists oppose police phone tapping plan
Activists oppose police phone tapping plan
JAKARTA (JP): A police plan to access cellular phones and stop
political calls were met with strong criticism yesterday from a
human right campaigner and a legal activist.
Marzuki Darusman, from the National Commission on Human
Rights, and Munir, from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, said
that not only is the tapping in violation of human rights but it
also amounts to an "act of intimidation".
They warned that the plan, if implemented, could become
another source of frustration to the public at a time when people
are bearing the brunt of a worsening economic crisis.
"Although the police have the legal basis to do that, they
should not have announced it to the public because it will have a
negative impact," said Marzuki, deputy chairman of the human
rights commission.
The police base their right to tap on articles 16 (1) and 18
(1) of the 1997 National Police Law, which gives them the
authority to take any necessary legal action if they believe a
crime is taking place.
Marzuki said: "The authority's exercise should be restricted
to prevention of crime. Don't use it as a means to interfere in
political affairs."
Separately, Munir said the police would need a court
endorsement before any tapping, otherwise it would only become
"another extrajudicial act".
"And unless there is a court ruling, the act will just be
terror for any phone user," Munir said.
The controversy over the police's plan was first reported
after Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata demanded access
to cellular phones during his meeting with executives of cellular
phone companies here on Monday.
The police, however, have denied making such a demand. Police
spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said in a statement Thursday
that "the police would tap telephone calls only where there are
indications of crimes in the conversation".
Yesterday, the police reiterated their denial of making the
demand.
"The police never demanded such access (to tap all
telephones)," Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang
said.
He said what the police were actually doing was asking for
telecommunications companies help in locating callers suspected
of spreading, for instance, a bomb hoax.
On Thursday, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Wahab
Mokodongan defended the police plan, saying that investigations
and efforts to preserve security were two underlying reasons for
the police to take the measure.
Marzuki and Munir said the measure would violate people's
basic rights, such as the right to privacy.
Both Marzuki and Munir called on government officials to
restrain from making comments that would confuse the public.
(cst/aan)