January 19 2012, Jakarta: The Indonesian Military (TNI) said that it would not be making quick decisions on whether to deploy its personnel to join the nation’s fight against terrorism. TNI chief Adm. Agus Suhartono said a joint team from the military, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and the National Police was now working on the details of the standard operation procedure that would allow military personnel to join the fight against terror.
“We are still completing the procedure. We want to make sure that when we finally deploy our personnel we will not violate any laws or regulations,” Agus said in a press briefing at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Wednesday.
Agus, however, maintained that to date, the military had been involved in preventive measures and had conducted early detections in relation to possible terrorist activities throughout the country.
In a speech made during the 66th anniversary of the TNI, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that it should join the counterterrorism effort. The TNI could have a greater role in the fight against terrorism with the endorsement of the National Security Bill, which may give the TNI broader authorities relating to the realm of counterterrorism.
But as the House of Representatives was dragging its feet on the bill’s deliberation, it would take a while before the TNI could join the effort.
In a statement published on Jan. 9, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said a larger role for the TNI in the fight against terrorism “was not a good idea”. “However logical it may seem on the surface, the TNI is now almost 10 years out of date in understanding the nature of the terrorist threat,” said Sidney Jones, senior advisor with ICG’s Southeast Asia office.
Jones further said that without specialized knowledge of how extremist groups function in Indonesia today, the TNI’s involvement will bring no added value to the fight against terrorism.
“It is more likely to bring confusion, competition and duplication of effort,” she said in the statement.
The draft of a revision to the existing Counterterrorism Law made available to The Jakarta Post was expected to boost the power of the nation’s law enforcers to act in countering terrorism in its infancy and also to prevent radical movements from growing and inciting violence.
A draft from the Law and Human Rights Ministry revealed several key articles that may help counterterrorism officers launch preemptive measures.
One of the key points stipulates the prosecution of any individual who incites hatred that then compels followers to commit violence. If proven in a court of law, the individual would face a prison sentence of between five and 12 years.
Security expert from the University of Indonesia, Andi Widjajanto, said that the proposal in the draft could yield opposition from civil society groups because of the proposal’s potential for limiting civil liberties. “It has the potential to violate freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,” he said.
“On the detention issue for example, I learned that the revision proposes a longer detention period from only seven days detention without legal assistance to 120 days,” he said.
Separately, Eva Kusuma Sundari, a member of the House’s Commission III on legal affairs and laws, human rights and security, said that lawmakers had not yet prioritized the revision of the anti-terrorism law.
“We are currently deliberating the Child Protection bill and the Corruption Eradication Commission bill,” she said.
Source: the Jakarta Post
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