NGOs: End Army Antiterror Efforts
Markus Junianto Sihaloho
A decision by the Army to deploy personnel to assist police in conducting antiterrorism operations was criticized by a number of nongovernmental organizations on Friday, who said the measure would not improve antiterrorism capabilities.
Usman Hamid, the coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said the Antiterrorism Law stipulated that the police were primarily responsible for antiterrorism operations, while the military could only become involved if the police invited them to assist.
“That is how our criminal justice system works, which means that any involvement of the military would harm the system,” he said.
He said the military and police operated differently, with the police working in a more transparent fashion, and that the involvement of soldiers would not guarantee that antiterror efforts were any more effective.
As an example, Usman said that in 2006 military personnel in East Java arrested a man identified as Haryono, claiming that he was a terrorist suspect.
“But then he had to be released because it was not true. He was a former patient in a mental hospital,” Usman said.
“And none of us, or the government, think that the police have failed in their antiterror work. So just let the police do their work.”
An Army spokesman said earlier that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had ordered the military to get involved by activating Suharto-era antiterror desks at the country’s 12 military commands.
The desks oversee more than 40,000 soldiers down to the subdistrict level to monitor activity and stop terrorist threats.
Amiruddin Al Arab, of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), said it would be better if the government ensured that the police and other civil institutions were working more effectively in antiterrorism efforts.
He said if the police lacked necessary intelligence personnel for monitoring terror threats, then it would be better for the government to recruit more police officers rather than looking to the military.
“Soldiers are not trained to work like police officers,” he said.
Donatus K Marut, of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid), said Yudhoyono’s order had triggered confusion among the military and the police because both institutions already had their own guidelines in place.
“I think if the president issues a new decree just to guarantee that the military has the right to be involved in any antiterror effort, then that would create chaos among the security apparatuses,” he said.
NGOs: End Army Antiterror Efforts
Markus Junianto Sihaloho
A decision by the Army to deploy personnel to assist police in conducting antiterrorism operations was criticized by a number of nongovernmental organizations on Friday, who said the measure would not improve antiterrorism capabilities.
Usman Hamid, the coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said the Antiterrorism Law stipulated that the police were primarily responsible for antiterrorism operations, while the military could only become involved if the police invited them to assist.
“That is how our criminal justice system works, which means that any involvement of the military would harm the system,” he said.
He said the military and police operated differently, with the police working in a more transparent fashion, and that the involvement of soldiers would not guarantee that antiterror efforts were any more effective.
As an example, Usman said that in 2006 military personnel in East Java arrested a man identified as Haryono, claiming that he was a terrorist suspect.
“But then he had to be released because it was not true. He was a former patient in a mental hospital,” Usman said.
“And none of us, or the government, think that the police have failed in their antiterror work. So just let the police do their work.”
An Army spokesman said earlier that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had ordered the military to get involved by activating Suharto-era antiterror desks at the country’s 12 military commands.
The desks oversee more than 40,000 soldiers down to the subdistrict level to monitor activity and stop terrorist threats.
Amiruddin Al Arab, of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), said it would be better if the government ensured that the police and other civil institutions were working more effectively in antiterrorism efforts.
He said if the police lacked necessary intelligence personnel for monitoring terror threats, then it would be better for the government to recruit more police officers rather than looking to the military.
“Soldiers are not trained to work like police officers,” he said.
Donatus K Marut, of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid), said Yudhoyono’s order had triggered confusion among the military and the police because both institutions already had their own guidelines in place.
“I think if the president issues a new decree just to guarantee that the military has the right to be involved in any antiterror effort, then that would create chaos among the security apparatuses,” he said.