Thuggery, radicalism vague, police chief says

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 06/24/2006 1:18 PM  |  Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman has said it is difficult to do much about the gangs and radical organizations that operate in the city because the concepts are unrecognized by the law.

""The thing is, the terms thuggery and radicalism do not occur in the terminology of law,"" Adang said Friday, explaining that while someone could be arrested for committing a crime, being perceived as a thug, or someone who wanted to bring about extreme change, were not offenses.

""We, the police, only recognize such terms as extortion, robbery and acts of violence.

""As for the term 'radicalism', we simply define it as the act of taking the law into one's own hands, which could disrupt public order,"" he said.

For that reason, Adang said, the police could not just take action against or disband groups because they were considered radical.

The police, he stressed, could only take action against individuals who violated the law.

He said crimes originate and develop in the public sphere and, thus, the public basically knows more about crime than the police. ""We expect the public to give us information about crimes.""

Adang said police would employ a persuasive approach.

""We'll ask them why they commit acts of anarchy. We want to know the background,"" he said. ""We'll approach them and try to reach an understanding, so that they won't do it again.""

Indonesian Police Watch chairman Neta S. Pane said the police must be able to translate the concepts of thuggery and radicalism into acts committed by people.

""The acts of robbery and extortion are very clear. We can see these acts being committed everywhere in Jakarta,"" he told The Jakarta Post.

Adang vowed, soon after he was installed as city police chief, that controlling militants and radical organizations was on his list of priorities.

There has been growing public apprehension about the activities of religious and ethnic organizations using violence to promote their agendas.

The Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) are among the organizations the public has urged the authorities to disband.

The two, however, have refused to be labeled as groups of thugs and militants.

FBR chairman Fadloli El Muhir even reported former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid to the police for allegedly defaming and inciting hatred against the group.

In her statement made a week before filing a lawsuit against Fadloli, Sinta said the organization was a group of anarchists.

""Who said we're anarchists? She has to prove what she's saying,"" Fadloli said in an interview.

Police are still investigating the report from the FBR and the charges made by Sinta against Fadloli.

Fadloli has been named a suspect for defaming women, including Sinta and playwright Ratna Sarumpaet.

Police said the case would be ready to be submitted to the prosecutor's office in July. (01)

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