NGOs against anti-terrorism bill

NGOs against anti-terrorism bill

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Non-governmental organizations urged the government on Friday
to halt the drafting of an anti-terrorism act, which they feared
would pose a threat to democracy due to its ambiguous definition
of terrorism.

Representatives of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute
Foundation (YLBHI) and the Institute for Policy Research and
Advocacy (Elsam) said that a better alternative would be for the
government to formulate a clear-cut national concept on defense
and security to deal with terroristic acts.

Speaking in a discussion, YLBHI head of civil and political
rights division, Munarman, pointed out that the substance of what
the government defined as terrorism is already contained in the
existing Criminal Code and the emergency law.

"The anti-terrorism definition is not necessary if the
government upholds the implementation of the existing laws.

"If the government continues drafting laws to accommodate the
drive against terrorism, then it would be better off to draw up a
concept of national defense," Munarman said.

Article 1 of the bill, still being hammered out by the
government's drafting team, states that terrorism constitutes any
activity using violence or threats based on political motives.

This includes endangering other people's lives, destroying
property, obstructing freedoms or creating panic amongst the
public.

The bill also states that there should be an anti-terrorism
task force with broad authority to investigate using a system of
interrogation, whereby suspects have neither the right to an
attorney, nor the right to contact any other people.

Another speaker, political observer Arbi Sanit, said that the
public should be aware that these laws could be used by the
government to suppress people's political awareness.

Under this law, he added, people's demands or protests against
government policies -- or demands by any region or province for
independence -- could be classified as terrorist activities with
political intention.

"Kidnapping for ransom, or detonating grenades without clear
demands, according to the bill, would not be categorized as acts
of terrorism -- the public should urge the formation of a law to
avoid engineered charges," by authorities, he said.