BIN insists on more power to fight terror
BIN insists on more power to fight terror
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
To step up the fight against terrorism, the State Intelligence
Agency (BIN) has demanded that intelligence units be empowered to
be able to arrest and interrogate suspects for up to three days.
The request is likely to be accepted by legislators, despite
strong reactions from human rights activists.
BIN chief Maj. Gen. Syamsir Siregar said on Thursday that he
wants the demand included in the intelligence law, which is one
of the priorities for enactment next year, to help intelligence
units perform better in preventing terrorist acts.
"We were seeking how our requests could be accommodated in the
law, including the demand for us to be able to arrest a person
following adequate indications for three days. That's the
priority," he said after a closed-door hearing with the House of
Representatives Commission I on defense and foreign affairs.
Amid accusations of past human rights abuses by security
forces, including intelligence units, who were blamed for
kidnappings and other violence perpetrated against antigovernment
critics in the past, Syamsir appeared firm in his conviction that
the request was neither unreasonable nor unfeasible.
"There's a discourse as well to establish a special monitoring
body to supervise intelligence units. But even without it, House
Commission I can summon us anytime if we're thought to be
crossing the line," he argued.
Syamsir was thus convinced that the past violations by
intelligence units during the authoritarian New Order regime
under former strongman Soeharto would not repeat.
Such an authority, he added, could be enforced based on data
by intelligence units alone without having to coordinate with the
police.
"This is all in the interests of the state. Developed
countries also have this kind of policy, like Australia (to
arrest and investigate a person) for up to seven days," said
Syamsir.
BIN's demand is apparently in contradiction to the revised
draft for the intelligence law prepared by the defense ministry,
after the initial draft was criticized for being detrimental to
human rights protection in the country.
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said in September his
team was preparing a new draft law on intelligence, which he
added would be "more humane" than the old one proposed during the
previous administration.
The government had dropped the initial draft law due to
mounting opposition from a variety of critical groups. Juwono
said the old bill was prone to civil rights abuses.
Should the House endorse the old bill, it would give BIN the
power to intervene in the work of the police and allow for the
use of intelligence reports as prima facie evidence, which would
thus be admissible in a court of law.
House Commission I members Djoko Susilo from the National
Mandate Party (PAN) and Effendi Simbolon from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) expressed their support on
Thursday for the request.
"I suppose only intelligence units at the central government,
not at the local level, can enforce such an authority. Besides,
there's a plan to set up a national intelligence commission,"
said Djoko.