Govt to atep up antiterror efforts
Govt to atep up antiterror efforts
Adianto P. Simamora and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government said on Friday it would work on improving the
country's counterterror capabilities, including upgrading the
existing antiterror desk and enacting tougher antiterror laws
akin to Malaysia's Internal Security Act (ISA) following several
deadly bomb attacks here over the past few years.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security
Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto said that the existing antiterror desk
at his ministry was not working effectively due to its limited
powers.
"We think it has a number of limitations. Therefore, there
will be improvements made to the desk's capabilities," he told
reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Friday that discussed
measures to curb terrorism in the country.
The antiterror desk might remain under his supervision or be
placed directly under the President, Widodo added.
It would be manned by capable personnel, and be given clear
status and powers so as to establish comprehensive national
antiterror policies and to implement them.
Widodo also said that the government was reviewing the
country's antiterror legislation.
National Police chief Gen. Sutanto stressed the urgent need
for tougher antiterror legislation.
He pointed as an example to the Internal Security Acts in
Malaysia and Singapore as well as tough antiterror laws in the
United States and other countries that "give room to the police
to move quickly and effectively" against the terrorists.
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said that the government
was considering enacting "emergency legislation" to deal with
terrorism.
The move to review the country's antiterror laws comes after a
second round of bomb attacks on Bali that killed 20 people and
the three suicide bombers. Visiting Australian Minister of
Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer has expressed concern over
Indonesia's antiterrorism laws, and offered to send experts to
help the country tighten up the legislation.
Widodo said that the review of antiterror policies was urgent
as "terror is a real and present threat."
"The modus operandi of the terrorists has improved, which can
be seen with the suicide bombings, the targets are not specific
and involve public places. This must be faced by all components
of the nation," he said.
Besides conducting a domestic policy review, the government is
to also conduct a review of the Southeast Asian antiterrorism
agreement.
Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, said that such a review was needed to identify both the
strengths and weaknesses of the agreement.
"After the Oct. 1 Bali bombings, we plan to review the
implementation of counterterrorism efforts in the region. This
internal review will identify the advantages and disadvantages of
the agreement," he said.
The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) have agreed to share intelligence information as part of
the effort to prevent terrorist attacks.