Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya Saputra has revealed that as of Sunday afternoon, March 16, the Kontras office located on Jalan Kramat II in Kwitang, Central Jakarta is still being monitored by unknown people (OTK).
It is suspected that the Kontras office has been monitored since early Sunday morning or after the Civil Society Coalition held a protest against discussions on revisions to the Indonesian Military Law (UU TNI) that were being held behind closed doors at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday March 15.
"Currently, we can say that the situation is not very conducive because of terror from unknown parties who continue to come to our office", Saputra told Kompas.com on Sunday afternoon.
"At least from our understanding, up until this afternoon, one or two unknown people have been watching or trying to observe the situation at our office", he reiterated.
However, Kontras is considering taking legal action against the alleged terror. "If the situation does not improve like that, perhaps there will be efforts that we will try to take, but of course, there will be careful consideration internally beforehand", said Saputra.
Earlier, Kontras External Affairs Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus revealed that three people came to the Kontras office in the middle of the night claiming to be from the media.
"At midnight, precisely at 00.16 local time, the Kontras office was visited by three unknown people who claimed to be from the media", said Yunus.
Yunus said that the three people did not explain which media they came from or their reasons for visiting the Kontras office in the early hours of the morning.
He also suspected that the visit was an attempt at terrorising them in response to the Coalition's protest against the discussion on the revision to the TNI Law.
"At the same time, I also received three phone calls from unknown numbers. We suspect this is related to the terror act against us, after we together with the Civil Society Coalition criticised the legislative process of the TNI Law revisions", said Yunus.
The urgent and intensive discussions by the TNI Law revisions Working Committee (Panja) were held at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday and Sunday, March 14-15. The event, which discussed revisions to Law Number 34/2004, was held behind closed doors using two meeting rooms at the five-star hotel.
During the demonstration, the three Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform activists pounded on the door of the working committee meeting that was being held at the Ruby 1 and 2 rooms at the Fairmont Hotel.
Yunus, who was wearing a black shirt, could be seen forcing his way into the meeting room. However, he was blocked by two staff members wearing batik shirts. He was then pushed out and fell.
"Wow, your pushing me, friends, then this is how we're repressed", he said as he got up again.
Yunus along with two other activists then shouted their demands in front of the closed door. They requested that the discussion of the TNI bill be stopped.
"We reject the discussions inside. We reject ABRI's dwi-fungsi", Yunus shouted, referring to the dual function of the Indonesian Armed forces (then called ABRI) under the New Order regime of former president Suharto.
"Stop the discussions on dwi-fungsi in the TNI bill, stop, stop this ladies and gentlemen", he said.
"We're asking for it to be stopped because the process is being carried out secretly and behind closed doors", he reiterated.
They then held up a number of posters as a form of protest against the discussions being held at a luxury hotel.
"The DPR and the government discussing the Draft Law on the TNI at a luxury hotel on the weekend, hello efficiency?", read a poster that was held up high by Yunus, referring to the government budget efficiency policy and calls by President Prabowo Subianto for government officials to stop holding meetings at luxury hotels.
Another poster read "Like there's not enough work, take a second job", alluding to the Army trying to solve the lack of jobs for senior officers by placing them in civilian posts and the potential return of the TNI's dwi-fungsi through the revisions to the TNI Law.
There was also a poster that read "Just a replacement, how about it, TNI becoming ASN, civilians carrying arms", alluding to civilian positions in the revisions to the TNI Law that will be allowed to be occupied by active TNI officers in place of state civil servants (ASN).
The three activists also shouted out demands calling for an end to the discussions because they are closed and do not provide space for public participation. "End this ladies and gentleman. The process is very closed. There's no involvement of the ordinary people here", they said.
- A video of the protest action at the Fairmont Hotel can be viewed here: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20250315190114-24-1209246/video-momen-koalisi-sipil-geruduk-rapat-tertutup-revisi-uu-tni
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Kontras: Hingga Minggu Sore Ini, Ada Orang yang Pantau Kantor Kami".]
