Government submits to House bill on National Police

Government submits to House bill on National Police

JAKARTA (JP): The government submitted to the House of
Representatives (DPR) on Thursday the National Police review bill
regulating the Police's independence and primary duties in
maintaining nationwide security.

The new bill has been prepared in review of the 1997 law,
which placed the National Police under the authority of the
Indonesian Military (TNI), and in observance of the 2000 MPR
Decree regarding the separation of the Police from the military
and their independent roles.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa said the
review bill was submitted less than six months after President
Abdurrahman Wahid issued an instruction last October to create a
law regulating the separation of the Police and TNI as stipulated
by the MPR decree.

"The bill is a reflection of changes in the reform era. We
want the National Police to be professional in maintaining
security at home," he said while addressing the House's plenary
session here.

Accompanying the minister in the plenary session was National
Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.

The President's instruction was issued following the House's
opposition to Bimantoro's appointment as new police chief last
September, replacing Gen. Rusdihardjo. He defended that the
decision to replace Rusdihardjo without prior approval from the
House was possible because the MPR ruling for the new mechanism
has not yet been legislated.

Lopa said the bill stipulated three substantial changes,
relating to the National Police's structure, function and
appointment of the police chief.

"The bill regulates that the National Police is independent,
but structurally under the President's supervision. The police
are in charge of maintaining security and order nationwide and
the President appoints the National police chief after securing
the House's approval," he said.

Asked after the plenary session about his programs as a
minister, Lopa said that the people would not need a great number
of laws and regulations, but instead required legal certainty and
justice.

He said one of the programs he would immediately instigate
would be strict action against "mischievous justice" to help
create the legal certainty.

Separately, legislators called on the government on Thursday
to transfer hundreds of thousands of the Army's low-ranking
officers to the National Police which has limited personnel.

"The Army's infantry battalions have more than 200,000
personnel who could be transferred to reinforce the National
Police.

"We do not need a strong defense force during this peaceful
time in the Asian region. This is for efficiency so that the
police will not need additional funds in its annual budget to
recruit new personnel," Aberson Marle Sihaloho, a member of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction
said.

He cited that a similar policy has long been applied in the
United States.

If the proposal is approved the National Police will have an
adequate number of personnel to serve the population, he said.

Aberson explained that the police currently have around
230,000 personnel to serve 230 million people nationwide. The
current ratio is 1 police officer for every 1,000 people, while a
ratio of 1:500 is considered ideal, he added.

Air Commodore Bachrum Rasir, a member of the House's
Commission I on defense, security and foreign affairs, concurred
with the proposal and said that it should come from the House
because both the Army and the National Police would oppose it.
(rms)