Military 'handcuffed' by fear of rights abuse
JAKARTA (JP): The fear of being accused of violating human rights deters security personnel from forcefully handling unrest and acting on other crimes, a senior researcher from the state military think tank said on Monday.
Head of the National Resilience Board (Lemhanas) implementation research team, Budisantoso Suryosumarto, said law enforcement measures could be construed by others as overly harsh -- and result in huge protests condemning the actions.
The problematic situation did not mean police, soldiers and other security personnel should do nothing to fight the city's soaring crime wave, he added.
"Security authorities here should always show their good image through upholding discipline and exacting stern punishment in accordance with the law," the retired two-star Army general told reporters after meeting with officials from the city development planning board at City Hall.
In a situation when mobs had formed, he said, security officers should immediately cordon off areas in anticipation of disturbances.
"Don't wait until the crowd grows bigger," Budisantoso warned.
City residents and crime victims have complained that security officers were absent or tardy in responding to the spate of riots accompanied by assaults, looting and arson which have stunned the capital since last May.
Conspicuously untouched were properties and shopping centers with tanks and military personnel in their compounds.
Budisantoso believed the unrest and spate of crimes were fomented by "certain parties" bent on tarnishing the authorities' image.
As with other government officials, he refused to name the parties or specify their overall agenda.
"To counter the threats, the Jakarta administration and its security officials should seriously handle any crimes based on the law," he said.
Jakartans, like fellow city dwellers across the country, have been subjected to months of anxiety, marked by toll road holdups, rampant robberies, communal clashes and citizens taking the law into their own hands to lynch suspected criminals.
Security personnel have been accused of being powerless or indifferent to stopping the crimes.
Few days before the Idul Fitri holiday, hundreds of kiosks at the usually busy Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta were abruptly closed by owners fearful of hoodlums incensed that their demands for money were rejected.
Many Jakartans heading out of town for the holiday entrusted their valuables to neighbors and friends due to the fear of burglary of their unoccupied homes.
Early on Sunday, a group of youths damaged two cars and set fire to a motorcycle at Mal Kelapa Gading shopping center in North Jakarta after being reprimanded by a mall security guard for racing their motorbikes in the area. (ind)