More back separate national police force

BANDUNG (JP): Observers have made fresh calls for the police to be separated from the rest of the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) in order to provide people with legal certainty and professional service and to improve human rights protection.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Fachrul Rozi, former national police chiefs Awaloedin Djamin and Koenarto, rights campaigner Satjipto Rahardjo and military law expert Haryo Mataram were among speakers at a three-day seminar at the Police Staff and Command School here yesterday.

The event was opened by Deputy National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Luthfi Dahlan on behalf of Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi.

Calls for the separation of the police from ABRI were voiced last year when the House of Representatives was deliberating legislation on the police.

Awaloedin said that in its early history, the police force was independent of the Armed Forces. It was only in 1964, under the Old Order regime under founding president Sukarno that the police came under the Armed Forces. his successor, Soeharto, retained the union.

He cited as an example investigations into legal violations of human rights by a civilian. This should be done professionally by police but the reality was that a mess of regulations often enabled various institutions with interests at stake to conduct their own investigations.

Koenarto said Indonesia was the only country whose police force was placed under the armed forces. "In other countries, police are part of the ministry of justice, ministry of home affairs or other bodies," he said.

He called for police autonomy and for the force to be given power to prevent other parties interfering in its investigations.

Satjipto agreed. "Unless the police are separated from the Armed Forces, it's the public who will continue to suffer the consequences... The strong hand of the law must be that of the police, otherwise things will become a mess," he said.

Satjipto, who is a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, said the doctrine by which the military operates is to crush enemies, while the police's is to protect.

Haryo concurred and said that by definition the police force was not made up of combat troops.

He questioned chapter 5 of the 1997 Law on Police which says the National Police is an element of the Armed Forces but not a military body.

"If it's not military, can military law be applied to police officers? Can military tribunals try police officers?" he said. (43)