Rights body, KWI posts in new council stay vacant

JAKARTA (JP): The government decided on Thursday not to fill places left vacant by the National Commission on Human Rights and the Indonesian Bishop Conference (KWI) on the Council for Enforcement of Security and Law.

"There will be no replacements," Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung was quoted as saying by Antara after the first meeting of the council, which was presided over by President B.J. Habibie.

Habibie established the council by a decree early last month, with the aim to "control and coordinate efforts to resolve crises threatening national stability".

The rights body and the KWI refused to join the council last week, saying that the council's mandate goes beyond their own functions.

The nonstructural body is chaired by the President, but for daily operations he has appointed Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto as the chairman of a smaller executive committee.

Akbar has said that the council would be comprised of 23 Cabinet members; National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi; the head of the State Intelligence Coordinating Board, Lt. Gen. (ret) Zaini Azhar Maulani; the Secretary of Development Operations, Lt. Gen. (ret) Sintong Panjaitan; the chairman of the rights body and the leaders of five religious councils.

Akbar said that during the two-hour meeting, Wiranto presented a plan on the establishment of the 40,000-strong People's Security (Kamra).

Rp 300 billion would be needed to set up the People's Security, which he said was not being established to oppose demonstrators.

Following an uproar over plans to establish a civilian militia, the government said that the formation of the militia would be delayed pending the issuance of a law on the matter.

People's Security would temporarily help overcome the lack of security personnel, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Monday. (byg)