House slammed for passing police law

House slammed for passing police law

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Activists slammed the House of Representatives Tuesday for
passing the National Police Law without amending its
controversial articles which have come under strong public
scrutiny recently.

The criticism was particularly harsh, since legislators had
initially postponed the passing of the law in October, and formed
a special commission to get public input on the law.

Nonetheless, the critical points in the law, which some have
suggested to be too militaristic in nature, remained intact when
it was passed by the House on Monday.

Several legislators apologized and acknowledged that they were
unable to heed the aspirations for amending bill.

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, chairperson of the Indonesian
Women's Association for Justice, expressed dismay at the passage
of a law she said emphasized police security at the expense of
serving and protecting the people.

"This only encourages police to use a suppressive,
militaristic approach in resolving problems," Nursyahbani told
The Jakarta Post.

Separately, Adnan Pandupraja, secretary general of the
Indonesian Police Watch, said the House's decision to postpone
passing of the law to get input from the public was farcical.

According to Adnan, the special commission reviewing the law
received proposals from several regions for regional police
chiefs be chosen locally. The proposal was ignored.

"If in Jakarta the House is given the role of approving the
National Police chief, then in the regions -- regencies,
mayoralties and provinces -- the local Council should also be
given similar authority," Adnan argued.

Both Adnan and Nursyahbani further suggested that the delay in
passing the law on Oct. 24 was politically tinged, as it was not
truly aimed at allowing people time to express their ideas on the
matter, but for a more insidious political motive.

He claimed that the passage of the law, which extended the
retirement age for police officers to 58, and in extraordinary
cases 60, was postponed so it would not allow any possibility of
then National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro to retain his
position.

Bimantoro reached the mandatory retirement age of 55 on Nov.
3. He did not hand over his post to Gen. Da'i Bachtiar till Nov.
29.

"Such a political motive is very clear," Adnan told the Post.

Supporters of the law have argued that it complies with
People's Consultative Assembly decrees which separate police from
the Indonesian Military and makes the national police chief
directly accountable to president.

The new law now also makes police subject to civil law rather
than military law.

But Adnan questioned the lack of mechanisms in the law, which
requires the police chief to be held publicly accountable at the
end of his term.

Nursyahbani also lamented that the fate of women, who are a
frequently fall victim to crime, did not get a single mention in
the legislation.