Govt submits bill on citizen mobilization
Govt submits bill on citizen mobilization
JAKARTA (JP): A new bill authorizes the president to mobilize
citizens to the battle front if the Armed Forces exerting all its
force is unable to stop a threat.
The bill on citizen mobilization, submitted to the House of
Representatives by Minister of Defense and Security Edi
Sudradjat, regulates the participation of people 18 to 50 years
of age in the defense system.
Edi told a House session chaired by Deputy Speaker Ismail
Hasan Metareum that the mobilization bill was needed to
anticipate the growing crisis threatening the nation's existence.
Edi said the new bill would regulate the mechanisms of
mobilization of all resources, and demobilization when the crisis
was over.
"The mobilization of either armed and unarmed citizens will be
implemented in times of crisis when the Armed Forces is no longer
capable of coping with it," Sudrajat said.
In the draft bill the Armed Forces are the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Police and the reserve army.
According to the bill, the President as the highest commander
of the Armed Forces, has the authority to declare mobilization
and demobilization. Mobilization would follow the President's
announcement that the state was at war.
Indonesia inherits the doctrine of people's participation in
the national defense and security system from between 1945 and
1950, the early years of independence.
"War is always the last resort (to solve a conflict), when
our independence, sovereignty and national unity is threatened,"
Edi said.
Edi said the deployment of armed and unarmed citizens in a
state of emergency was suggested by international humanitarian
laws.
The draft bill calls armed citizens combatants and unarmed
ones non-combatants.
The bill regulates punitive measures for people who refuse the
mobilization call-up or refuse to submit any belongings needed
during mobilization. The article on penalties will affect
government officials who abuse power or refuse to return
belongings to owners during demobilization.
Mobilization does not abolish people's rights over their
belongings, jobs and education, according to the draft bill.
The government also delivered yesterday the draft bill on
military tribunal intended to replace the old one passed in 1970.
The bill will put all judicial proceedings involving the
military under the supervision of the Armed Forces chief, instead
of the Supreme Court.
Currently, the Chief Justice is the ex-officio chairman of the
Military Supreme Court.
The draft bill suggests the new Military Supreme Court carry
out the Armed Forces chief's daily supervisory job, with the
Supreme Court serving as an advisory body.
The President names military court judges on advice from the
Armed Forces chief and approval of Supreme Court chief. (imn/amd)