REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By : Lieutenant General (Ret) Soedibyo *)

There is a report concerning the active Islamic State (IS) propaganda through Mosque  in Jakarta  done by a preacher.  Pramono Anung the Cabinet Secretary has expressed his awareness and saying as if we the Indonesian have no power to counter it. Pramono Anung is of the opinion that Law on terrorism should be urgently revised so that someone who provokes radicalism and joining IS in Syria could be caught. Pramono Anung as if described our Law on Terrorism is weak is not strong enough to catch a preacher who provokes young men to join IS in Syria.

Pramono Anung the Cabinet Secretary is complaining the  propaganda using mosque disseminating Islamic State of Syria propaganda provoking young men to go to Syria joining the ISIS for better life  as if it could not be countered. He describes that it is clearly dangerous but the Government can do nothing because our Law on Terrorism is weak.

The complaint of Pramono Anung is funny statement because being the Secretary of the Cabinet certainly he could suggest coordination among Ministers to counter the IS propaganda. Certainly he should coordinate the idea with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security affairs to conduct the Cabinet meeting.

We believe the Government even now is powerful enough to take action against radicalism. To wait the revision of Law on Terrorism is certainly to take long time. Until now there is no any information that a draft of the revision of Law on terrorism has been debated by the House of Representative.

Earlier, the government plans to amend the Law No. 15/2003 on the Eradication of Terrorism and Law No. 9/2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Antiterrorist Financing. The amendment plan has been listed as one of the priority bills in the 2016 National Legislation Program. The House has 40 prioritized bills in the program, which it plans to pass this year.

The additional powers that  the revision seeks to provide includes the extension of detention period of people suspected of planning terrorist attacks, even if the police haven't officially named them as suspects.  Law enforcement institutions have also requested the authority to prevent radical preaching.

Recently, the House of Representative has formed a special committee to revise the material of revise law on terrorism to give law enforcement institutions stronger authority to take action in anticipation of terrorist attacks. The decision was taken in the House's deliberative body meeting on Thursday (25/2/2016).

It is likely there are too many government officials and politicians are afraid of to be called as the one who wants to copy the New Order in coping with the security problem. Everyone is expecting to be called reformist but do nothing.  Reformation era as if everyone could speak and could do everything they like to say or to do was protected by human right principles. And on other side the Government was also avoiding to do something preventing to be accused of acting against the human right.

The country of Indonesia is big and strong country and nation. To counter such kind of IS propaganda is clearly only tactical problem that is not difficult the Cabinet  to handle it. We have various Ministers with various political power and political right, that could counter dangerous propaganda voiced by radical group  and will not let the situation becomes worse and worse. That is why the situation should be certainly countered urgently by the Government.

When the Chief of BIN Lieut Gen Sutiyoso urging the Law on Terrorism to be revised and giving additional power to BIN to catch someone believed as terrorist element, Pramono Anung is the one who reject the BIN proposal. But likely now he changed his mind, saying that The Law on Terrorism is urgent to be revised in order the Government to have power to counter IS propaganda.

The essence of Sutiyoso’s appeal is the right of BIN to catch somebody who is strongly believed as terrorist member’s or terrorist supporter’s aren’t in context criminal justice system, but these idea is aimed for BIN apparatus could be explored more deeply in terrorist cell’s and absolutely BIN’s information gathering should be reported to single user, The President of Republic of Indonesia and also to Police apparatus.

It is likely the appeal of Lieut Gen Sutiyoso to revise Law on Terrorism is rejected; most politicians are of the opinion BIN is not an organization that should have the right to catch some body suspected as terrorist element. BIN is the Institution which has the responsible to collect information without having the right as Police.

Being the Cabinet Secretary he should realize that this country certainly will not return to the New Order political system, but it is definitely that it is necessary to show that  the Government today is also able to act strongly and urgently.

Substantially it is likely urgently and importantly the State to decree: first, all the ideology endangering Pancasila and the country of Indonesia is definitely forbidden to be developed in Indonesia.

Second, all the Indonesian citizens are forbidden to join other country’s military force or the Government will pull out its Indonesian passport.

Third, the Government monthly hold two kinds of Cabinet meeting, namely The Economic Cabinet Meeting and Defense and Security Cabinet Meeting directly  led  by the President.

Fourth, in Defense and Security Meeting any emergency and necessary step should be taken to avoid the worse situation faced by the country.

The Indonesian government should demonstrate that it is strong government though the President is not the military general.

*) The writer is a security observer. Residing in South Jakarta.

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