Police to get new antiterrorist powers
Police to get new antiterrorist powers
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Anyone planning or persuading other people to commit acts of
terrorism will in future be classified as a terrorist and thus
could be arrested, a government official said on Thursday.
Abdul Gani Abdullah, the chairman of the government team
revising the antiterrorism law, said the inclusion of the new
provision in the law would allow the police to arrest anyone
planning a terrorist attack even before the act was carried out.
"The planners of terrorist acts will be able to be arrested
based on intelligence reports," Abdul Gani told reporters on the
sidelines of a seminar on the Constitutional Court at the
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Thursday.
He was quick, however, to add that before arresting someone
believed to be hatching a terrorist plot, the police would first
have to obtain an arrest warrant from the local district court in
order to avoid human rights abuses.
The new preemptive element, Abdul Gani said, was included in
the revisions of the antiterrorism law currently being drafted by
the government.
Police investigators have complained that the existing
antiterrorism law does not allow them to take preemptive action
against terrorists.
Article 26 of the antiterrorism law states that law enforcers
many only arrest terror suspects based upon prima facie evidence,
and that suspects may only be held for three days unless an
extension to this period is granted by the district court.
These requirements had hampered the government's efforts to
combat terrorism, and thus the law needed to be revised so as to
give more power to the security forces to act swiftly against
terrorism.
The deadly Bali bombing in October 2002, which killed more
than 200 people and injured over 300 others, and the JW Marriott
Hotel bombing in Jakarta last month, had served as a wake-up call
for the government to enhance its preemptive capabilities against
terrorism.
According to Abdul Gani, the team revising the antiterrrorism
law was set to finalize the revisions by the end of September,
and was now waiting to hear the views of the Indonesian Military
(TNI).
Previously, the TNI had asked for a greater role in combating
terrorism. However, it has yet to spell out exactly what role it
envisages for itself.
"We are waiting for proposals from the TNI. Should no
proposals from the TNI be forthcoming, we will complete the
review by the end of September," said Abdul Gani.
Meanwhile, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the Minister of Justice and
Human Rights, gave assurances that the revised law would not give
the power to the TNI and its intelligence services to arrest
suspected terrorists.
The statement was made in response to public concerns that if
the TNI were given the power to arrest suspected terrorists, the
abuses of the past could well be repeated.
"Only the police will be able to arrest suspected terrorists,"
Yusril stressed.
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Anyone planning or persuading other people to commit acts of
terrorism will in future be classified as a terrorist and thus
could be arrested, a government official said on Thursday.
Abdul Gani Abdullah, the chairman of the government team
revising the antiterrorism law, said the inclusion of the new
provision in the law would allow the police to arrest anyone
planning a terrorist attack even before the act was carried out.
"The planners of terrorist acts will be able to be arrested
based on intelligence reports," Abdul Gani told reporters on the
sidelines of a seminar on the Constitutional Court at the
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Thursday.
He was quick, however, to add that before arresting someone
believed to be hatching a terrorist plot, the police would first
have to obtain an arrest warrant from the local district court in
order to avoid human rights abuses.
The new preemptive element, Abdul Gani said, was included in
the revisions of the antiterrorism law currently being drafted by
the government.
Police investigators have complained that the existing
antiterrorism law does not allow them to take preemptive action
against terrorists.
Article 26 of the antiterrorism law states that law enforcers
many only arrest terror suspects based upon prima facie evidence,
and that suspects may only be held for three days unless an
extension to this period is granted by the district court.
These requirements had hampered the government's efforts to
combat terrorism, and thus the law needed to be revised so as to
give more power to the security forces to act swiftly against
terrorism.
The deadly Bali bombing in October 2002, which killed more
than 200 people and injured over 300 others, and the JW Marriott
Hotel bombing in Jakarta last month, had served as a wake-up call
for the government to enhance its preemptive capabilities against
terrorism.
According to Abdul Gani, the team revising the antiterrrorism
law was set to finalize the revisions by the end of September,
and was now waiting to hear the views of the Indonesian Military
(TNI).
Previously, the TNI had asked for a greater role in combating
terrorism. However, it has yet to spell out exactly what role it
envisages for itself.
"We are waiting for proposals from the TNI. Should no
proposals from the TNI be forthcoming, we will complete the
review by the end of September," said Abdul Gani.
Meanwhile, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the Minister of Justice and
Human Rights, gave assurances that the revised law would not give
the power to the TNI and its intelligence services to arrest
suspected terrorists.
The statement was made in response to public concerns that if
the TNI were given the power to arrest suspected terrorists, the
abuses of the past could well be repeated.
"Only the police will be able to arrest suspected terrorists,"
Yusril stressed.