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)