On eradicating terrorism

On eradicating terrorism

From Media Indonesia

Rampant terrorist acts across the world have led to controversies in our country about the need for our intelligence service to enjoy greater authority, so that terrorism can be better countered and handled.

Bomb attacks perpetrated by terrorists in Indonesia have led to both the world's sympathy for Indonesia and allegations that the country is a lair of terrorists.

To deal with the impact of terrorist attacks at home, the Indonesian government issued a government regulation in lieu of law on antiterrorism in 2002, which the House later ratified as the law on antiterrorism.

The law can be enforced effectively only if our intelligence service enjoys greater authority in dealing with terrorism. Our national police cannot make the best use of this law unless it is supported by intelligence services, for example the intelligence service of the Indonesian military and the state intelligence agency.

The fact is that now, our intelligence services enjoy only a limited authority to arrest those suspected of being involved in terrorist acts, while the national police have no authority to carry out such arrests. The police can arrest only those who are suspected of having committed terrorist acts.

It is this legal constraint that has prevented our security apparatuses from properly preventing and countering acts of terror in this country.

The deputy prime minister of Malaysia once attributed that country's success in establishing security and prosperity for Malaysians to the enforcement of its Internal Security Act (ISA). Indonesia must look up to Malaysia as a model in this respect.

ADAM SYAHRONI Jakarta