More protests launched over Da'i nomination

More protests launched over Da'i nomination

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

More protests have been launched against the government's
decision to nominate Comr. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as the new National
Police chief, saying the sole candidate was corrupt and had a
questionable human rights record.

The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI)
and the National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) said the government should reconsider the
nomination of Da'i and submit more names to the House of
Representatives as alternative candidates.

"We are worried about the government's sensitivity in
nominating Da'i Bachtiar," Kontras' Ori Rahman and YLBHI's Munir
said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The process of election should bring in alternative
candidates and involve public participation," the statement said.

The two organizations also urged the government and the House
of Representatives not to extend the term of incumbent National
Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro, who retired on Thursday.

Both Kontras and YLBHI revealed several unresolved human
rights cases, which took place when Da'i served as detective
police chief in 1998 and chief of the East Java Police last year.

The cases included the abduction by the military of
prodemocracy activists, which occurred before the downfall of
authoritarian president Soeharto in 1998, the statement said.

It added that when Da'i served as the East Java Police chief
between the period of February and October last year, deadly
violence by police flared up against farmers in several cases
across the province.

The YLBHI and Kontras also recorded 12 cases of intimidation
and terror against plantation workers in the East Java towns of
Banyuwangi, Jember, Malang, Blitar, Mojokerto and Sidoarjo, which
took place when Da'i was overseeing security there.

The non-governmental organizations said the latest cases
involved police officers and military personnel as well as local
hoodlums.

"These issues are just some of the problems that should be
taken into account. It is clear that there was a tendency of
using violence and human rights violations," the statement said.

YLBHI chairman Bambang Widjojanto said earlier that Da'i's
name was "implicated in extortion activities during the
investigation into the scandal over Bank Indonesia's liquidity
funds".

Dai said on Wednesday that all the allegations brought against
him were unfounded and that he was ready to set the record
straight.

"I'm ready to confront those who doubt my personal integrity
and credibility," he said.