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.