Waiting for the House to Fulfill Its Promise

Kompas

The National Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) stay on guard during a raid by Densus 88 members at the house of suicide bombers who blew themselves up at the Surabaya Police office in Tambak Medokan Ayu, Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday (15/5/2018). The police confiscated some explosives during the raid.

The recent terror attacks on three churches and a city police headquarters in Surabaya heightens the urgency for Indonesia to implement a proper counterterrorism law.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has responded to the public call by expressing that he would issue a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) if the House of Representatives cannot complete its deliberation on the Terrorism Law revision by June this year.

Indonesia in fact has a terrorism law. Perppu No. 1/2002, once it was passed into law, became the positive legal basis for fighting terrorism. The Perppu was an emergency response to the Bali bombing in 2002. Sixteen years have now passed and the Perppu is no longer deemed effective in anticipating terror attacks.

After the bombing on Jl. Thamrin in Jakarta in January 2016, it became increasingly apparent that the Terrorism Law should be revised to respond to the increasing scale of terrorism. In February 2016, the government submitted a bill to revise the law. However, more than two years later, deliberations have yet to be completed.

After the suicide bombings in Surabaya, the House and the government put blame on each other on the numerous delays in getting the Terrorism Law revision approved. The government said it had submitted the law revision a long time ago. However, the House said the delays was caused mainly by differences in opinions among government agencies.

The public call for the approval of the Terrorism Law revision was triggered by the hostage-taking of police officers by terror inmates at the National Police’s Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) detention center and the suicide bombings in Surabaya. Political preparedness by the government and the House in immediately approving the Terrorism Law revision is needed. However, we wish to remind them that, despite the necessity of speedy deliberations, thoroughness and rigor must be applied.

Public debates on the substance of the law revision must be opened. The issues of military involvement in terrorism eradication, detainment period for alleged terrorists and public involvement in the deradicalization program must be openly deliberated. The Terrorism Law revision must also regulate terrorism prevention measures. Public security and civil liberties must be regulated proportionately. Public security must not be sacrificed for the sake of civil liberties. Accountability to prevent abuse of power by law enforcement officials may be a good point of compromise.

Differences in opinions in formulating articles in the law revision are understandable in a democracy. However, we hope that deliberations will not be protracted until another terror attack takes place. Resolve all differences democratically and soon and allow the public to give input on the law revision.

Apart from waiting for the approval of the Terrorism Law revision, unity between the police, the military and the people is also necessary to combat terrorism together. The accuracy of the database of alleged terrorists must be monitored as mistakes undermine public trust.