Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has voiced opposition to the National Security bill, saying that if passed into law it could take the country back to the Soeharto era.

Commission chairman Otto Nur Abdullah said that the bill overlapped with existing laws, including the Indonesian Military Law, the Indonesian Police Law and the Defense Law. "The bill may take over the powers [of these laws]," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Monday.

The commission issued the statement following a meeting with a coalition of civil society groups that sought the commission's support in their fight against the controversial bill.

The groups included the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI); the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras); Human Rights Working Group (HRWG); the human rights group Imparsial; the Institute for Defense, Security and Peace Studies (IDSPS); and the Setara Institute.

Otto argued that in an emergency situation the bill could have tremendous power that may result in draconian behavior. He said that approving the bill would be akin to reviving the Operational Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Kopkamtib), the highest security authority under Soeharto.

In its report, Komnas HAM said that Kopkamtib officials were responsible for a number of cases of violence against civilians linked to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was accused of masterminding the coup attempt against Sukarno and the grisly murder of six army generals. "In this context, [the bill] may lead to human rights violations," Otto said.

Otto said he was aware that the content of the bill, which is now under deliberation at the House of Representatives, could still be changed to accommodate public input. "We still oppose the bill," he said.

Imparsial program director Al Araf said it was Komnas HAM's duty to block the passage of the bill. "We hope the commission will continue to be at the forefront of the campaign against the bill," he said. The activist claimed that there were no significant changes in the bill, which he deemed as detrimental to democracy. "This is a threat to our freedom."

The government submitted the latest version of the bill to the House in October last year, with the claim that the latest draft would not contravene democratic principles. Speaking to lawmakers, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro repeatedly said the new bill accommodated public input.

The government first submitted the bill in March 2011, but the lawmakers considered it to be unclear and wanted it to be revised. The House said it would continue the bill's deliberation this year.