Respect for the law
Respect for the law
Disrespect for the law in Indonesia has become clearer. In the
last two days law enforcers have made efforts to uphold the law
appear feeble.
The police arrested governor-elect of Lampung Alzier Dianis
Thabrani for criminal acts he had allegedly committed before he
passed the mandatory test. Alzier also participated in public
debate before he was elected governor.
The second case involved leader of the Islam Defenders Front
(FPI) Habib Rizieq, who had just made the police work harder.
Habib had reportedly gone abroad, despite his house arrest over
the ransacking of several nightspots in Jakarta. Days after his
"trip" abroad he was apprehended by police at Soekarno-Hatta
Airport in Jakarta and had to spend the night in a city police
cell. However, while about to be transported to the Jakarta
Prosecutor's Office, a large number of FPI members intercepted
the convoy and took him to FPI headquarters in Petamburan, West
Jakarta.
The two cases are blatant examples of deteriorating respect
for the law. Law enforcers have left the law in a gray position,
instead of black or white.
The law must respect the rights of a suspect or defendant. The
law must also be firm enough to say black is black and white is
white. There is no way that the law can be left in a gray area.
The cases of Alzier and Habib are a warning to law enforcers
that the law must be properly respected and upheld. If the law
enforcers -- the police and prosecutors -- always operate in the
gray area, the law will never be upheld and respected properly.
And finally, the country would be left in danger.
-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta
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Otherop-future-Iraq
The future of Iraq
JP/6/
The future of Iraq
Gen. (ret) Jay Garner, the head of the agency charged with
rebuilding Iraq, arrived in Baghdad on Monday. Garner will start
to monitor the restoration of Iraq, which has been devastated by
coalition troops.
Sixty-four-year-old Garner, with 400 staff, will soon
supervise various work, including the rebuilding of public trust,
economic restoration and the establishment of an independent
government.
The rebuilding of infrastructure will reportedly be carried
out by a joint team, including Iraqi and Americans engineers. But
'rebuilding Iraq' will not be as simple as just rebuilding the
infrastructure. The Iraqi people are now split in their attitude
toward the U.S. Some see the U.S. as a savior, while others see
it as a colonialist, which will bring about catastrophe. Some
demand that the U.S. repair all the damage, while others urge
that Americans should leave the country as soon as possible.
There has been demand that the UN take over the central role
of rebuilding Iraq. America, which has made a huge commitment,
including money and soldiers' lives, sees that the cake of
reconstruction in Iraq should go mainly to American contractors.
Apparently, the U.S. has a grand scenario on Iraq. The new
Iraqi government is expected to provide the Pentagon with access
to military bases to strengthen U.S. grip and influence in the
region.
Is it true that America will be able to set up a new and
democratic government in Iraq?
The most important thing for us is that the Iraqi people's
interests must be accorded top priority.
-- Kompas, Jakarta