Lawmakers from House of Representatives Commission III are planning a working committee to monitor the performance of the National Polices counterterrorism unit, Densus 88.

The intention is to accommodate the peoples criticisms relating to the handling of terrorism.... The working committee will also ask that the counterterrorism action be conducted transparently and accountably, said Al Muzzammil Yusuf, deputy chairman of Commission III, which oversees legal affairs.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) member said that while he and his colleagues support the fight against terrorism, he called on the authorities to uphold the presumption of innocence, the national constitution and human rights.

We certainly support the fight against terrorism. But we dont want to see Densus 88s actions become counterproductive and to ignite public anger, he said.

He added that Densus 88s handling of terrorist suspects was worrying, with the organization allegedly committing serious human rights violations with wrongful arrests and the killing of innocent people.

Muzzammil accused the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and the National Police headquarters of condoning Densus 88s actions.

Based on [government regulations], these two institutions should have audited Densus 88s performance and... [brought to justice] those in the field who have committed inhumane [actions], he said.

He said that the public has not seen any action from either institutions over Densus 88s performance.

We think that BNPT and the National Police headquarters tend to condone human rights violations that were committed by Densus 88. Thats why we could understand why some people in the public wanted to see Densus 88 disbanded, Muzzammill said.

Previously, Komnas HAM vice chairman M. Nukhoiron alleged that Densus 88 had committed serious human rights violations.