Jakarta – The Indonesian government has proposed scrapping its draconian subversion law and including new articles in the criminal code to cover crimes against the state, reports said Thursday.

Justice Minister Muladi told the house of representatives the new articles would accommodate elements of the 36-year-old subversion law which were still relevant, the Jakarta Post daily said.

The Indonesian Criminal Code currently has no articles relating to crimes covered by the subversion law – namely, endangering the state ideology, spreading Marxism-Leninism and acts of sabotage of state or military installations or the distribution of basic essentials.

"By integrating elements of the 1963 [subversion] law into the criminal code, it should altogether mean that the effective procedural code is the Criminal Code Procedures," Muladi said.

The subversion law, which carries a maximum penalty of death, was widely used under the government of former president Suharto to clamp down on dissent and budding unrest.

Human rights and legal activists have repeatedly called for the law to be repealed. Since Suharto stepped down last May, the government has begun comprehesive reforms of the country's economy, judiciary and political landscape.

"A perennial criticism of the subversion law regards its procedures, that it breaches the criminal code procedures," Muladi said. Under the subversion law, suspects could be detained for a year while the criminal code restricts the period for questioning to 60 days.

The proposed changeds will now go to the House of Representatives for debate.