Mahfud's views on police are his alone, 'not TNI's'

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police Headquarters strongly objected on Monday to defense minister Mahfud MD's statement concerning the separation of the National Police from the Indonesian Military (TNI), calling it something that could "create a lot of problems".

Mahfud claimed that a decree of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on the separation needed to be reviewed in the upcoming MPR Annual Session considering that, among other things, the National Police had a weak intelligence network and that technically the police were not equipped to deal alone with chaotic situations within the nation.

"The National Police see the statement by the defense minister on the MPR decree as his own personal opinion... his own thoughts," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi told reporters at National Police Headquarters.

"The minister obviously has not studied the reality on the field. The coordination between TNI personnel and the police force is really good, and we have been able to work alongside each other very well, despite what the minister had to say."

In the current case of communal clashes in Sampit, Didi said, the police were fully aware that TNI security forces were needed to control the warring Dayaks and Madurese there.

"Today, one battalion of TNI forces from Purworejo (Central Java) reached Sampit. It's not true that the police cannot coordinate well with the TNI and instead need to be directed by the TNI," Didi said.

Mahfud had also said that the National Police were technically not ready to be separated from the TNI, considering the force's weak intelligence network.

"Since the separation, the police have been assigned to handle security within the nation using their intelligence network which is still weak. Soldiers are idle as a result. Situations then suddenly occur which get out of hand and become uncontrollable," Mahfud was quoted on Thursday by Kompas as saying.

In response, Didi said that the National Police were still in the process of developing an intelligence network, and were optimistic about the results.

"The police need to make sure they are never used by any political power, as a scapegoat. We need to build ourselves up from the inside," Didi said.

In the case of the last Christmas Eve bombings in which at least 19 people died, the National Police Headquarters admitted that police intelligence had only received information that the bombs would be placed inside churches, not outside.

Despite their constant denial that they have yet to come across proof of the Army's involvement in the bombings, police sources have clearly indicated that a few Army officers were involved, but that they have yet to arrest any of them. (ylt)