Thu, 21 Dec 2000

Kamra problem to be brought to the House

JAKARTA (JP): Instead of fulfilling its promise to dissolve the People's Security Militia (Kamra), the government on Wednesday said that it planned to seek help from the House of Representatives (DPR) in settling the case.

One of the five Kamra representatives from Central Java, who have been in the capital along with some 1,000 fellow members since Saturday, said after a meeting with Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. at the latter's office on Wednesday evening that Mahfud, together with Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Alhilal Hamdi and National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro, would meet with House deputy speaker, Sutardjo Soerjoguritno, to discuss the fate of Kamra nationwide.

"Pak Mahfud said that based on the contracts, all of the administrative matters concerning Kamra should be completed on Friday," Putut Edi Sutrisno, a senior Kamra leader from Surakarta, told The Jakarta Post.

"Pak Mahfud also promised to give Rp 1 million (US$105) each to Kamra members as compensation, and again promised to employ us in the TNI (the Indonesian Military), National Police, or other government agencies," Putut said.

The minister, he added, asked Kamra members all across the country to be patient as their future would be further discussed with the House.

The meeting between the House representatives and top government officials will be held at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Putut and the other four Kamra representatives met with Mahfud for about 15 minutes starting at around 7 p.m. after the minister chaired a ministerial meeting on the same matter.

The meeting, which also took place in his office, was attended by -- among others -- Gen. Surojo, minister Alhilal, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Sudirdja, TNI Territorial Affairs chief Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, and a number of governors.

Unfortunately, none of the officials, including Mahfud, were willing to reveal the outcome of the meeting to waiting journalists.

The press were even ordered by Mahfud's staff not to get any closer to the venue of the meeting.

"Are you all deaf?" one of his military staffers shouted at the journalists, who then left the site immediately.

Contacted separately, Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo said there would be no special treatment for the Kamra personnel who wanted to joint the military.

"They should undergo a series of tests just like other applicants," Agus told the Post later by phone.

Kamra members in some major cities have staged separate protests, asking for a clear-cut decision from the government about their future as their contracts are officially to end on Dec. 31.

The biggest demonstration was held in Yogyakarta last month when about 4,000 Kamra members from Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara and South Sumatra gathered, demanding that the government accept responsibility for their fate.

Some rallies even turned ugly with destructive acts being perpetrated.

Kamra was established in 1998 based on Law No. 56/1998 on the civilian militia. The government initially recruited 41,000 Kamra members but the number has since declined to 36,000 due to desertion, dismissal and various other reasons.

In November the government announced that it had found new jobs for some 8,000 of the 12,000 members of Jakarta's Kamra contingent, of which 2,500 would be employed by the Jakarta administration as public order (Tramtib) officers while another 5,500 were to be employed in private companies, such as PT Astra Motors, as security guards. (02)