Jakarta – Right from the beginning, it is difficult to expect much from the Indonesian National Police Reform Acceleration Commission. Its composition shows that President Prabowo Subianto still has complete faith in the institution he claims to want to reform.

Instead of establishing an independent team, Prabowo entrusted the reform of the police to five generals who were part of the fundamental problems within the corps. Tito Karnavian, Idham Azis, Badrodin Haiti, Ahmad Dofiri, and Listyo Sigit Prabowo are senior officials born from the old culture that failed to transform the National Police (Polri) into a professional civil institution, in line with the mandate of the 1998 Reformasi.

Appointing these five generals as the architects of change within the police is like asking the old guard to renovate a home they have long been preserving. There is little reason to believe that they will produce breakthroughs that they never came up with when they were at the top of the institution.

The composition of the commission became even more problematic when three presidential aides – who are clearly part of the structure of power – are included as members. The presence of the Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Facilities and his staff does not provide any more hope. They are part of a government that has ignored public criticism about the performance of the police.

The only individual who has some distance from the government, Mahfud Md., appears to be an exception. But he seems to be isolated among the ranks of those loyal to the administration. Meanwhile, Commission Chair Jimly Asshiddiqie – although an expert in constitutional law – claims that this commission being full of "insiders" is proof of the President's seriousness. This view is in direct contradiction to the fundamental logic of reform: change can only come from those at a distance from power and with the courage to oppose the status quo.

It is difficult to avoid the impression that this commission is merely a political gimmick to make it appear that the government is responding to public demands. The President himself seems quite comfortable with the current state of Polri. In the last year, Prabowo has publicly praised the police no fewer than six times.

Strangely, those praises were not for Polri's achievements in upholding the law, but for work outside their main responsibilities, such as in relation to food or the free nutritious meals program. This type of praise gives the impression that the government is happy with a police force that busies itself with non-professional assignments, rather than focusing on public safety and just law enforcement.

The principles of modern policing require officers to work accountably, be limited to core functions, and be strictly monitored by independent civil institutions. Reform should return the police to those tracks – limiting excessive authority, increasing transparency, strengthening external oversight, and ensuring that every use of force can be accounted for. However, with the composition of the commission being laden with conflicts of interest, the outcome is predictable: a half-hearted change that does not touch the root of the problem.

As long as the mandate for police reform is held by people who are part of the problem, it is impossible for this institution to transform into a professional and democratic body. Therefore, we should not be lulled by illusions or sweet promises about the formation of the police reform commission.

– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2066948/the-police-reform-political-gimmic