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Kontras wary of military role in war on terror
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has said the National Police should take a leading role in the war on terror.
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On guard: Members of the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad escort security officials in possession of evidence from the residence of Tuah Febriwansyah, who is allegedly involved in the Islamic State (IS) movement, in Setu, South Tangerang, Banten, on March 22, 2015.
(Antara/Muhammad Iqbal)
T
he Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has said the National Police should take a leading role in the war on terror.
"The involvement of military should be tentative," Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar told thejakartapost.com on Friday. He argued that as long as terrorism stood as a criminal offense in the country, only the police as law enforcers had the absolute authority to act against it.
Renowned scholar Franz Magnis-Suseno concurred with Haris, saying that military personnel could only be deployed to assist the National Police in counterterrorism operations if there was an overwhelming threat. But the government should strictly oversee the force's authority, he added.
“The House of Representatives should play a great role in overseeing [military involvement].”
The House of Representatives' special committee on the deliberation of the draft revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law is mulling a proposal to insert articles on the military’s role in counterterrorism measures.
Human rights watchdogs have strongly criticized the plan, saying that an active military role in counterterrorism was prone to human rights violations. (ary)
