Civilian militia delayed until House debate

JAKARTA (JP): Following days of public uproar, the government decided on Monday to postpone the establishment of a civilian militia until at least a law on trained civilians is issued.

Minister of Justice Muladi confirmed the delay and announced that the government had completed the draft law, which would be submitted to the House of Representatives next month.

"The draft law on the establishment of a civilian militia will be submitted to the House in January," he told reporters after a limited ministerial meeting on political and security affairs.

Citing law No. 20/1982 on Security and Defense, the minister said a separate legislation was needed before a civilian militia could be established.

"Law No. 20/1982 suggests the creation of a separate law to regulate the establishment of the civilian militia," he said.

He had earlier acknowledged a legal shortcut to the lengthy lawmaking process, namely the issuance of a governmental decree in lieu of a law. This alternative, however, is warranted only in a state of emergency.

An earlier attempt to invoke this legal shortcut -- when President B.J. Habibie's administration wanted to regulate freedom of expression in July -- was met with great public resistance.

Now, Muladi also dismissed the suggestion that the government use such an approach. "The public would immediately oppose it," he said.

Muladi said that the government would deploy the Kamra, an acronym for Kemanan Rakyat (People's Security), while awaiting completion of the law on the civilian militia.

"Unlike the civilian militia, the establishment of Hansip (civil defense) and Kamra have legal grounds in Presidential Decree No. 55/1972," he said.

He said that the civilian militia had a different function from Hansip and Kamra.

"The civilian militia's main duty is the security of the people, while Hansip and Kamra are responsible for security in the neighborhood," he explained.

The planned establishment of the civilian militia was introduced by Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto earlier this month.

Wiranto, who argued that the plan is both constitutional and necessary because of the low ratio of police to the population, came under strong criticism from human rights groups here and abroad when the Armed Forces used 125,000 civilians to boost security at last month's Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Students have demonstrated against the planned civilian militia here and in several cities. Similar opposition has also been raised by popular reform leader Amien Rais' National Mandate Party and the Justice Party.

The ministerial meeting on political and security affairs also recommended that security officers be continuously deployed in strategic and important areas, including the State Palace, the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly complex and several government offices.

"We can withdraw our troops from the important and strategic scenes, but who can guarantee that the demonstrators will not turn anarchic," I Wayan Karya, spokesman for the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, told reporters after the meeting.

The office recorded 903 street demonstrations from January to December of this year, with the peak coming during the months of September, October and November. (imn)