Govt to keep ET code in database system

Govt to keep ET code in database system

JAKARTA (JP): The government's insistence on maintaining the
ET (ex-political prisoner) code in the population management
system's database has drawn fire from a prominent human right
activist.

Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said yesterday that the policy
reflected the government's reluctance to change its
discriminatory policy on former political detainees linked to the
outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.

"This (policy) is obviously against Article 27 of the 1945
Constitution which guarantees that every citizen is equal before
the law," he told The Jakarta Post.

Abdul Hakim was commenting on a statement from the Ministry of
Home Affairs on Monday that although the highly controversial ET
codes were scrapped from the ID cards of ex-political detainees
on Aug. 18, the government apparently intends to maintain the
code in its database.

The Director General for Public Administration and Regional
Autonomy Soemitro Maskun said that the government needs to
maintain data on the former detainees to monitor their movement.

Abdul Hakim, executive director of the Institute for Policy
Research and Advocacy, said he doubted there would be any change
in the government's policy.

He said that the elimination of ET code was prompted by the
new computerized process of making ID cards, which will start on
Jan. 1, 1996.

Abdul said that the government should change its policy
because the detainees have never been tried for their political
crimes.

"They have never been stated guilty legally," he said.

He said the government's fear that the prisoners might
mobilize and affect the political system was rather groundless
due to their advanced ages.

Meanwhile Soemitro Maskun told reporters on Monday that only
computer operators, who have been sworn to secrecy, have access
to the database.

Soemitro said the new, light-blue-colored ID cards measure 8.5
by 5.5 cm, which is smaller than the current one.

On the left side of the front is the figure of the Pancasila
symbol followed by the words Kartu Tanda Penduduk Republik
Indonesia and a red-and-white ribbon below.

Also on the front is a 16-digit population registration
number, with the first six digits reflecting the provincial code,
region and district.

The second six digits are for the birth date, month and year
of the card holder and the last four are the person's
registration number.

The computerized ID, which costs Rp 3,000, will also print the
name, sex, address, religion, blood type, citizen and picture of
the holder. The new card will not contain data on marital or job
status.(05)