Militia will help foster sense of security: Wiranto

Militia will help foster sense of security: Wiranto

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives is holding off on a
decision on the hotly debated plan to establish a civilian
militia, which the Armed Forces (ABRI) argues is needed to help
in law enforcement and restore a sense of security among the
public.

Minister of Defense/ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto defended the
plan in a hearing with House Commission I on security on
Thursday.

Legislator Aisyah Amini, who chaired the session, said the
commission understood Wiranto's explanation, but still had to
decide whether to endorse the militia.

"Our (decision to endorse) would depend mostly on the legality
and the draft law on the militia. We would likely decide to agree
if the draft law is in accordance with what the ABRI leadership
has just explained," she said after the hearing.

The Armed Forces is drafting a bill on the civilian militia
which it hopes to submit shortly. Aisyah underscored the need for
its speedy deliberation because the military plans to recruit the
militia as early as next month.

Golkar faction legislator Sutradara Ginting reminded the Armed
Forces that the militia should not be formed as an "emotional
reaction" toward recent upheaval across the country.

Wiranto contended the plan was "part of ABRI's anticipatory
action to help create a feeling of safety in society as well as
to enforce the law and maintain stability".

He warned that crime, including riots, looting and arson, was
expected to soar in the near future because of economic hardship
and prevailing ignorance of the law.

"With the 200,000-member National Police, we wouldn't be able
to create a feeling of safety among more than the 210 million
people... we would be overwhelmed in handling riots and looting
like that which occurred in the past".

Wiranto was accompanied by Army chief Gen. Subagyo HS, Deputy
Navy chief Rear Adm. Achmad Sucipto, Air Force chief Vice Marshal
Hanafie Asnan and National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi.

Wiranto said the militia would be established in housing areas
and industrial zones considered prone to collective crime, riots
and looting.

In the first phase of its establishment, about 40,000 people
would be recruited for one-month training at military commands in
Java and Sumatra. Their deployment was expected to start in May
and June.

"Recruitment is open to all, including dismissed workers,
jobless university graduates and retired legislators. They will
be full-timers and given monthly pay which will be a little
higher than the (government-set) regional monthly minimum wages,"
he said.

Wiranto described the training program as similar to basic
police training.

He pledged the militia would be deployed to help the police
and not to handle mass demonstrations, a fear of many of its
critics.

"There will be no confrontation between the militia and mass
protesters." He added the militia's term of service would be less
than two years.

Wiranto said the government allocated Rp 298 billion in the
1999/2000 State Budget for the civilian militia program.

Most of the funds will be used to recruit, train, deploy and
pay members.

After the hearing, chief of the Military Justice System Maj.
Gen. Timor P. Manurung lashed out at the National Commission of
Human Rights for its call for a halt to the trial of 11 members
of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) involved in the kidnapping
of prodemocracy activists last year.

"The rights body's call is baseless because the tribunal has
already accepted the 11 troops' dossiers," he said.

Quoting the 1970 law on the military court, Manurung said that
no institutions nor government officials, including a president,
had the authority to cancel the trial.

"The tribunal must go ahead because it is in accordance with
the law."

The right body in its annual report released on Wednesday
urged the military to halt the trial, alleging it infringed on
the rights of the defendants and plaintiffs.

It claimed the trial was unfair and was prejudiced in favor of
the kidnap victims.

According to the rights body, former Kopassus chiefs Lt. Gen.
(ret) Prabowo Subianto and Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwoprandjono should
be held responsible for the kidnapping because the lower-rank
officers could have only carried out their orders.

Manurung declined to answer when asked why Prabowo and Muchdi
were not being tried.

Prabowo admitted before a Military Honor Council to the
abduction of nine activists. (rms)