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buses of power by law enforcers have mostly sacrificed the poor and marginalized people. A 1985 resolution passed by the UN, the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, stated, '€œmillions of people ['€¦] suffer harm as a result of crime and the abuse of power and the rights of these victims have not been adequately recognized'€.

Such abuses of power have often occurred because of a lack of access to justice and little knowledge of fundamental legal rights.

In Indonesia, the abuse of power has frequently resulted in an alarming rate of wrongful arrests. Victims endure the long process of justice, while they lose their livelihoods and family interactions are stigmatized. Furthermore, according to regulations under the Criminal Law Procedure Code, any compensation granted shall be to a maximum amount of Rp 1 million (US$72.44) for victims and Rp 3 million for victims of wrongful arrest who suffered injuries or disability. Such amounts are '€œinhumane'€ and outdated.

The government has adjusted the compensation as follows: for victims of wrongful arrest, Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million, for such victims who sustained injuries or became disabled, Rp 25 million to Rp 100 million, and for dead victims, Rp 50 million to Rp 600 million.

It is a very bold move to accommodate the public'€™s sense of justice to defend the wrongly accused. However, such compensations are generated from state finances.

Every abuse of power by law enforcers should lead to compensation from state finances and must be considered a state loss. Therefore, severe punishment should be imposed on law enforcers contributing to the wrong arrest.

John I.M. Pattiwael
Jakarta