Muhammad Genantan Saputra – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner Choirul Anam says that the national legal team formed by Coordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs Wiranto resembles the Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Kopkamtib) during the New Order dictatorship of former president Suharto.
“It’s like the Suharto era Kopkamtib”, said Anam at a press conference at the Komnas HAM office in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday May 10.
Essentially the formation of the team makes no sense because its stated aim is to study statements made by national figures following the April 17 presidential and legislative elections.
According to Anam, the national police as an institution is quite capable of dealing with statements by figures which are aimed at threatening state sovereignty.
“So it can all be rewoven. On the issue of one or two figures who have allegedly violated the law, yes well that’s the police’s business”, he asserted.
So the team’s formation has to be reevaluation so that the political situation become more favourable. Conversely, it would be better if the team be directly under the authority of the national police chief (Kapolri) in accordance with the police’s duties.
“It would be best if this team is reevaluated. If it is indeed to be established, yes then it [should be] under the national police, not a minister”, he said.
According to Anam, the formation of the team in fact raises concerns about intervention in law enforcement in Indonesia. It should be, said Anam, that Wiranto be smarter and work to cool the political atmosphere down instead.
“(Wiranto) should employ fast breaking events with national figures to create a calmer atmosphere, whoever they are they’re still the nation’s children. That’s the problem, that’s what’s not being done, he’s making threats instead”, he asserted. (bal)
Notes
Kopkamtib – The Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Komando Pemulihan Keamanan dan Ketertiban) was a pervasive security network which acted as a secret police force setup by then General Suharto and the military in 1965-66 to oversea the arrest and trials of September 30 Movement (G30S) and Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) prisoners.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Komnas HAM Sebut Tim Hukum Nasional Bentukan Wiranto Mirip Pangkopkamtib Era Soeharto”.]
