Police cowardice

Amid the pandemonium of global reactions that have arisen in the wake of the terrorist attacks upon the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, a few statements made by Indonesian officials here at home deserve to be noted.

Last Tuesday, for example, a spokesman for our National Police, Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf, told reporters in Jakarta that in this era of democracy, there was little the police could do to stop people from expressing their views unless laws were broken.

True enough, assuming that he was speaking in general terms and under "ordinary" circumstances -- such as, for example, in the case of peaceful demonstrations. In this case, however, he was commenting on appeals made by national legislators in Jakarta for the police to act after militant groups of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) in the Central Java city of Surakarta swept through the city last Sunday in search of American nationals, whom they wanted expelled from Indonesia if the U.S. attacked Afghanistan.

Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of the House of Representatives Commission I for security and foreign policy affairs, said the police could either question them or arrest them. Any kind of search for Americans in public places would fly in the face of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's promise to American businesspeople in Houston, that Indonesia would guarantee the security of investors in this country.

That call was joined by National Mandate Party (PAN) legislator Andi Mappataheng Fatwa, who said that the police had to fulfill their promise to protect foreign citizens, especially Americans, considering the current situation, and "even more so after Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard himself has asked the police to protect U.S. investors and its citizens in Indonesia." He also said the police should back up Megawati's efforts in the U.S. by taking prompt action against those responsible for such actions.

To these pleas, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf's response is that the police can only act firmly against those who break the law. "If they detain, abuse or attack foreigners, we will arrest and deal with the assailants accordingly, for there is a law against such actions."

Several arguments can be raised against such reasoning. First of all one could ask, since when has the making of threats no longer been considered a crime under the Indonesian Criminal Code? Second, given our experience of the not-so-distant past, even the promise of police action in the event that the threats become reality is not very reassuring. One may recall the violent attacks made by militants belonging to the same group -- or perhaps by another group acting under the same name -- on nightclubs and cafes in Jakarta's Kemang area. That act -- the destruction of another person's property -- certainly can be regarded as criminal. However, to this day the public is still awaiting some kind of follow-up action by the police.

Under the circumstances it is difficult to escape the impression that our national police are trying to find excuses to cover up for their lack of courage to act. It should be realized however -- by both our public and our law enforcers -- that at this stage foreign investments are practically the only hope for Indonesia to weather its current crisis. That is why President Megawati is going to great lengths to ensure the business community abroad that Indonesia is still a good place to invest. It is the duty of our law enforcement apparatus to lend credence to our President's words.