Discussion on National Security Regulation Delayed
Wednesday, 10 January, 2007 | 14:16 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Department of Defense has agreed to delay the discussion on the National Security Draft Bill.

This step was taken in order to avoid sharp differences of opinion between the Department of Defense and the Indonesian Police as regards the draft bill already prepared by the department.

A Tempo source at the Department of Defense, who was involved in preparing the draft bill, said that the delay was made at the order of Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono.

“The Defense Minister requested the delay,” the anonymous source told Tempo yesterday (01/09).

When asked for confirmation, Juwono did not actually state that there would be a delay.

However, he did acknowledge that the discussion on the security regulation was no longer a priority.

Juwono also acknowledged that both he and the Indonesian Chief of Police General Sutanto had agreed to no longer make comments to the media.

“We must let the situation down first. Later, we will discuss it together,” he told Tempo last night.

This agreement, according to Juwono, was reached when he met with Sutanto and talked about the matter at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's private residence in Cikeas, Bogor, on Sunday (01/07).

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