Tripartite force gets support from city councillors

Tripartite force gets support from city councillors

JAKARTA (JP): Councillors supported on Sunday the city
administration's plan to establish a tripartite force to improve
its performance in maintaining security and order in the capital.

Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post, United Development
Party (PPP) councillor Syarifien Maloko and his Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) counterpart Audy
I.Z. Tambunan said the administration needed help from the city
military command and the city police headquarters to deal with
complex social and security matters in the capital.

"While security is still a sensitive issue in the capital, the
administration has a limited capacity to cope with the capital's
social and security problems," Syarifien, deputy chairman of the
city council's Commission A for administrative affairs, said
while raising the issue of poorly trained Hansip (civilian
guards) and city public order officials.

"Therefore, the establishment of the tripartite force is a
must," he added.

Audy, chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction, separately said
that cooperation among respective parties was needed to maintain
security in the capital, including the military.

"The military presence is still needed since they have
knowledge about security matters.

Civilians still need their expertise to maintain security and
order in the capital," he said.

Both Syarifien and Audy were commenting on the
administration's plan to form a tripartite force, comprising of
military, police and city administration members, which would be
permanently deployed to maintain security and order in the
capital.

Under the proposed scheme, security affairs in the capital
will no longer be the sole responsibility of the city police
headquarters but will also involve the city military command and
the city administration.

Syarifien said security affairs in the capital were important
as they also have an affect on the security affairs of other
parts of the country.

"The capital, which is the center of the country's governance,
is the center of political struggle in the country. Security
affairs in the capital will be a barometer for the country's
overall security condition," he said.

However, Syarifien, reiterated that the tripartite force
should not provide any room for the military to regain control of
security affairs in the capital, which would lead to a return of
militarism.

"The city police should remain in control of security affairs.
The military should be deployed in a proportional manner, when
the situation grows worse and the police are not able to handle
the situation," he said.

Observers have criticized the presence of military personnel,
for example, in handling protests in the capital, saying they
were not well trained to face civilian protesters. As a result,
the protests often ended in violence.

Meanwhile, Audy suggested that the cooperation must still be
under civilian control.

"To avoid the military's interference in civilian affairs, the
police or the governor should take control over the security
cooperation.

"The military personnel should be deployed in proportion to
the city's security situation," he said.

Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur H.
Usman conceded that the plan was an adaption of the old scheme,
in which the military took part in the capital's security
affairs.

"It's like in justisi (judicial) operations, in which all
components including the police, prosecutors and military
personnel are involved.

"The scheme was abolished after the separation of the police
force from the Indonesian Military last year," he said.

He, however, welcomed the plan to reinvolve the military in
the capital's security system.

"If the plan is carried out, the police will have quick back
up from the military during chaotic situations as the three
parties will be well coordinated," he said. (asa)