An internal security law needed

The Constitution makes it clear that Indonesia is a state based on the rule of law and not solely on individual power. It is therefore natural that of late much criticism has been aimed at the possible use of laws that are regarded as reflecting little more than the use of pure power. For instance, there are those who question the relevance of applying the existing Subversion Law to resolve the "Black Saturday" riots of July 27.

In order to avoid recurrences of debates regarding the use of the Subversion Law in the future, we would like to underline the remarks made by the Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, during a meeting with media chief editors last Monday. Syarwan said that as the nation and the country face the present developments -- most particularly those that are related to the nation's security -- appeals and warnings alone will not suffice. Rather, a clear-cut legal framework for action is needed. In this context, he said, it is time for Indonesia to have a law to protect its national security.

Aside from the question of content, the time for such a law seems ripe for a number of reasons. One is that it would be clear to every citizen what his or her rights and duties are as far as the safekeeping of the nation's security is concerned. Also, the officials in charge of safeguarding the national security would have clear-cut and relevant guidelines to act on. They would also be better placed to urge the public at large to cooperate in protecting national interests.

Another reason is that such a law would protect the public from national security being used by irresponsible persons to intimidate or pressure people for purposes that actually have nothing to do with the safety and the security of the nation. In short, there appears to be a real urgency to pass such a law based on the consideration that ours is a constitutional state and that there is a need for us to anticipate all the implications of globalization.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta