Rights groups join chorus against militia

Rights groups join chorus against militia

JAKARTA (JP): Human rights groups joined on Friday the chorus
of opposition to the Armed Forces' (ABRI) plan to establish a
70,000-strong civilian militia.

The groups, including the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute, the
International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development, the Institute
for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) and the Jakarta Social
Institute, said in a joint statement that the plan to establish
the militia was fraught with political interest.

"The plan to establish the militia, which is unilaterally
initiated by ABRI and not through deliberation in the House of
Representatives, indicates a hidden agenda," said Ifdhal Kasim of
ELSAM, reading from a statement.

The groups also criticized ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto's
earlier statement that the militia would be authorized to make
arrests and interrogate people.

"With these authorities, the use of violence by the militia
would be justified. The militia would be prone to human rights
violations," the statement said.

They said that the plan would only heighten the potential for
conflict within a society which has in recent months seen
rioting, clashes and protests. Other critics have also questioned
the timing of such a plan.

Jakarta, where a large concentration of security forces are
based, has since last month seen deadly clashes between soldiers
and students, looting, violent brawls between neighborhood groups
and riots with religious overtones which left scores dead and
several buildings, including 22 churches, burned or damaged.

Four civilian security volunteers were killed by mobs during
student clashes with security personnel on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.

In Semarang, Central Java, Minister of Justice Muladi,
however, said on Friday that people should not hastily oppose the
formation of the militia, adding they should first see whether
the militia would be professionally trained or not.

He also said that the ABRI commander should further explain
the plan to the public.

Muladi had expressed reservations about the plan, saying
earlier this week that Article 20 of the 1982 law on national
defense stipulates that a law should be issued before a civilian
militia was established.

House Speaker Harmoko had said Wiranto would be asked to
outline the plan after legislators returned from their year-end
break. Wiranto had earlier said recruitment was expected to begin
in January.

Wiranto, who argues that the plan is both constitutional and
necessary because of the low ratio of police to the population,
came under strong criticism from human rights groups here and
abroad when ABRI used 125,000 civilians to boost security at last
month's Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Students have demonstrated against the plan here and in
several cities, including in Semarang on Friday. Similar
opposition has also been raised by popular reform leader Amien
Rais. (byg/har/44)