ID checks

An ID check was recently organized by the West Jakarta mayoralty in the Meruya and Palmerah areas. People in public transportation vehicles, people using their own motor vehicles and pedestrians were asked to show their ID.

People who could show their Jakarta ID passed the test, but people who did not carry their ID and people who could only show an ID issued in the provinces without a travel permit were fined up to Rp 50,000. It was said these offenders had violated Jakarta's population regulation. Hundreds of people were constrained to pay the fine though under protest.

In my opinion, what is interesting is the fine imposed on people from outside Jakarta who were visiting the capital city. They did carry their ID from their hometown.

To my knowledge there is no regulation that Indonesians traveling within Indonesian territory must have a travel permit. IDs are valid throughout the country, regardless of where they are issued.

The constitution says that Indonesian citizens can live wherever they want in Indonesia. From the aspect of human rights, Indonesian citizens can move freely throughout Indonesia. If the country were in a state of war, a travel permit might be compulsory.

In my opinion, the ID raid carried out by the West Jakarta mayoralty is arbitrary, illegal and exaggerated. I appeal to both the central government and the provincial administrations, the House of Representatives and the National Commission on Human Rights, to take measures to prevent such raids from recurring anywhere in Indonesia.

What if people in the provinces took revenge and made ID checks and fined people from outside for not carrying a travel permit?

In theory, anybody who is fined by a provincial administration can sue administration at the State Administrative Court. But for the people it would be useless to do so. They can only accept the treatment dealt out by the authoritarian provincial administration.

Is it only power that is in force in this country? Has this country become a police state?

SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO

Jakarta