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Rights watchdog calls for reform of spy agencies
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On alert -- Imparsial executive director Al-Araf (left) speaks at a press conference in Jakarta recently. (thejakartapost.com/Viriya Paramita Singgih)
E
ighteen years after Indonesia embarked on democratic reform, the country has yet to redefine its intelligence agencies, resulting in overlapping functions and inadequate resources, a human rights activist and a lawmaker said in Jakarta on Monday.
Imparsial executive director Al-Araf proposed that the government should draw a line between civil and military intelligence. For example, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) should focus on activities for civilian purposes while the military’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) should concentrate on defense.
“Appointing military personnel to head the agencies [as often happens] shows the government has no clear-cut concept of intelligence work,” he said in a public discussion.
But Al-Araf sees some hope in President Joko Widodo’s plan to put a civilian, deputy National Police chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, in charge of BIN, replacing Sutiyoso, a former Army general.
Legislator Arief Suditomo, a member of the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs, said that BIN needed to improve its human capital and equipment.
Arief deplored the government’s recent decision to slash BIN’s budget this year by Rp 228 billion (US$17 million) as part of its austerity measures. (rez)
