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)