Agency calls for speedy debate of intelligence bill
Agency calls for speedy debate of intelligence bill
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
National Intelligence Agency (BIN) director A.M. Hendropriyono
demanded on Thursday that the deliberation of the much-criticized
bill on state intelligence be speeded up, saying the country
urgently needed it to be passed into law so as to prevent
terrorism.
Hendropriyono warned of possible legal problems in the future
regarding the arresting of suspected terrorists in the absence of
a proper legislative framework.
He said that Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism, which was now being
revised, failed to give the intelligence agency clear powers to
prevent acts of terror.
"I will ask the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to
immediately finish the drafting of the intelligence bill as the
current lack of a legal basis for intelligence operations will
create problems in the future," Hendropriyono said on the
sidelines of the launching of a book on national defense
published by the University of Indonesia.
He was referring to the widespread controversy over the recent
arrests of a number of people by the police in connection with
their alleged links to terrorism.
The antiterrorism law, Hendropriyono said, did not
specifically provide for preventive measures against possible
acts of terror, but focused more on the legal measures to be
taken against those suspected of committing terrorist attacks.
The government suspended the drafting of the state
intelligence bill early in March due to mounting opposition from
various sides, including Vice President Hamzah Haz, who said the
bill could lead to civil rights abuses.
The bill, now with the State Secretary, would provide BIN with
greater powers, including the right to intervene in the work of
the police.
Under the bill, BIN will be allowed to detain a person for 7
days for questioning without any right on the part of the
detainee to be accompanied by a lawyer.
The detention period could be extended to up to 90 days, and
in certain circumstances a person could be detained for up to 180
days.
The place of interrogation and detention would be determined
solely by the BIN chief.
Another article in the draft bill authorizes the BIN director
to procure firearms for intelligence operatives.
BIN had previously tried to have these controversial
provisions inserted into Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No.
1/2002, which was issued following the Oct. 12, 2002, bomb
attacks in Bali.
Hendropriyono played down the possibility of human rights
abuses should the bill be enacted into law.
"The state intelligence law will regulate what we can and
cannot do regarding the questioning, which does not mean arrest,
of a person linked to terrorism," he said.