Police hesitant to act on militants

Police hesitant to act on militants

JAKARTA (JP): The police, under pressure to take resolute
action against militant groups threatening to hunt down and expel
Americans, appear hesitant to do just that.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on
Tuesday that the police could only act firmly against those who
broke 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," Saleh told The Jakarta Post.

Legislators pleaded with the police on Monday to take action
after a search for Americans was carried out by militant groups
in top hotels in the Central Java town of Surakarta on Sunday.

Asked about the wave of anti-U.S. protests in several cities
around the country, Saleh said that the groups involved were
merely staging protests without endangering life or property.

"In this era of democracy, people are free to voice their
opinions. There's nothing wrong with demonstrations as long as
they are carried out in a peaceful manner," he said.

He added that the police had held discussions with some hard-
line groups and warned them not to commit any acts that could
disturb the peace.

"We will closely observe their movements to ensure that no
harm is done," he said.

University of Indonesia criminologist Adrianus Meliala said
that to search out Americans by looking through a hotel register
could not be categorized as a criminal act.

But should the hotel consider the guest list confidential and
those involved insisted on looking at it, then it could be
classified as a crime.

"As long as no one is forced into doing anything, then it
cannot be called a threatening act or an act of terror," Adrianus
said.

The threats to hunt down Americans has given rise to anxiety
among Westerners residing in Indonesia.

The British Ambassador to Indonesia said he and most Britons
residing in Indonesia were concerned about the threats.

"There is anxiety among us as Britons. Britain is known as a
close ally of the United States. We are fully depending on the
Indonesian police to protect us," Richard Gozney told reporters
after giving an address at a workshop on security here on
Tuesday.

Gozney said that he had met with the Jakarta Police chief to
discuss the protection of Westerners, particularly Britons, who
resided or were traveling in Indonesia.

From the discussion, he said, he got the impression that the
police were serious, and capable of providing protection for non-
nationals.

"It was made very clear here that they would protect overseas
citizens from Western Europe and the United States," Gozney said
after the workshop entitled "Reform in the Security Sector".

He said that there were some 4,000 Western European people
residing in Indonesia.

A noted political observer interviewed at the workshop said he
did not believe that the militant groups would carry out their
pledges to attack the U.S. Embassy and expel Americans from the
country.

"I don't believe they will carry out their threats. Actually,
the only thing they want to do is to make people hear their
voices. Such an attack would not make sense," Dr. Juwono
Sudarsono told the Post.

'Improper'

On being asked by reporters at the State Secretariat, Vice
President Hamzah Haz said Tuesday that he opposed the searches.

"These moves are improper. Do not harass and hunt foreigners
who stay here. Just let the government handle this problem,"
Hamzah said after presiding over a Cabinet meeting, Antara
reported.

According to Hamzah, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is
on a visit to the U.S., had warned President George W. Bush that
in the attempt to hunt down terrorists, he should not attack any
country in the world.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said it was the
responsibility of the local police force to deal with the hunts
conducted in Surakarta.

"There must be firm measures taken by the security
administration against these groups," Hari said.

"Indonesia is a country which guarantees the safety of its
people, including overseas citizens residing in the country," he
added.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, who is
accompanying Megawati, also deplored the anti-American sweeps.

Speaking from New York on Monday (Tuesday noon in Jakarta)
Hassan said that such actions would tarnish Indonesia's image
abroad.

"We need to work together with everyone in the country to
avoid any actions that could worsen Indonesia's image abroad," he
was quoted as saying by Antara.

Several radical groups pledged in Jakarta last week to attack
the U.S. embassy and expel U.S. citizens from Indonesia if the
U.S. were to attack Afghanistan or any Middle Eastern country.

The Surakarta sultanate's Crown Prince Dipokusumo said that
the groups could have expressed their anger in a better way.

"The majority of Solo people are not like them. The members of
these groups were involved in a series of violent incidents in
the past," he asserted.

He said they were people who neither lived in urban nor rural
areas.

"They live at the crossroads of two cultures. They need to
communicate (with community leaders)," said the crown prince,
adding that he was ashamed of the incident. (09/53/hbk)