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rotracted problems in the country’s intelligence services like poor legal foundations, leadership, coordination, professionalism and even technological issues have not only impeded intelligence agencies from performing duties like security and defense, but have also lured the institution into the abuse of their role.

Unlike the reforms that swept the military (TNI) and the police after the fall of Soeharto’s authoritarian rule in 1998, intelligence agencies coordinated by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) have received less attention from policymakers.

The sluggish progress of reform at these agencies has led to allegations that intelligence personnel have engaged more in securing the interests of the ruling party and sidelining political opponents than serving the interests of the public in improved security.

A Friday article by the Australian media outlet The Age discussed allegations that President Yudhoyono had instructed BIN to spy on his rivals — revelations that were the result of fallout from leaked US diplomatic cables distributed by WikiLeaks. Critics say this type of practice is frequent in the country’s intelligence community.

The rivals cited by The Age that were spied upon include former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, former TNI commander Gen. (ret.) Wiranto and former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.

During the New Order regime, it was obvious that Soeharto used the intelligence community to maintain power by all means necessary, including the murder and kidnapping of people opposed to his policies.

But, aside from being used for political purposes, concerns are also rife that the intelligence community in the future will be involved in killing Indonesian citizens deemed, subjectively, a threat to the country’s stability.

The murder of human rights activist Munir on board a Garuda Indonesia flight to Amsterdam in 2004, which many accused BIN of having a role in, has not forced policymakers to immediately pass a law to prevent intelligence groups from misusing their authority.

Unlike in most developed countries that have separate agencies for domestic and foreign intelligence, BIN authority encompasses both.

The agency is also tasked with coordinating other intelligence services, including those of the military — the Strategic Intelligence Agency — and the police force.