National

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Admits Lack of TNI and BIN’s Involvement
Saturday, 18 September, 2004 | 00:45 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Following the bombing of Australian Embassy in Jakarta on September 9, 2004, the participants of the intelligence coordination meeting, led by National Intelligence Board (BIN) head AM Hendropriyono on Wednesday (08/09), discussed about the establishment of Special Task Unit to prevent terrorism acts.


Ad interim Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno said that the task unit could be an open and closed unit. Sabarno said that this unit shall consist of Indonesian Military (TNI), intelligence and police officers. “The current terror could be made in various ways,” he added on Wednesday (15/09).

According to Sabarno, all forces within the TNI and National Police have had anti-terror squads. The problem is how to make use these troops in preventing and settling terrorism acts.

Sabarno said that the anti-terror squads have mostly been trained to face conventional terror problems such hostage-taking and piracies. “We need to focus on the handling of short terror acts such as bombing,” he stated.


Sabarno added that the intelligence coordination meeting shall discuss preventative measures in many sectors in order to prevent another bombing incident from taking place once again, particularly in approaching the second-round presidential election on September 20, 2004. The BIN head shall formulate this in coordinating and empowering all intelligence apparatus in Indonesia.



Sabarno said that the intelligence apparatus from the TNI and other government institutions have not been involved very much in preventing terrorism. This is because according to Law on Terrorism Eradication, only National Police is allowed to arrest and question terrorist suspects.

Sabarno said that intelligence officers aside than the police were only allowed to follow, monitor and inform things to the National Police. “State Intelligence Agency often supply information to the police,” he stated.



On Monday (13/09), Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri headed the limited meeting in politics and security to evaluate the matters related to the bombing incident and security approaching the presidential election.



According to Sabarno, in the meeting, the president decided to maximize the role of intelligence, including in arresting terror suspects. However, the increase of such a role was hampered by the legal rules on this matter.



Imparsial non-governmental organization (NGO) executive director Rachland Nashidik considered that the BIN should not be authorized to arrest terrorist suspects. “Only law enforcers or judicial institution are allowed to arrest people,” Nashidik stated.



Nashidik worried that the extra-judicial authority held by the intelligence would end the political rights of civilians in Indonesia. (Badriah/Yandhrie Arvian-Tempo News Room)