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.