Jakarta – General Hendropriyono, the chief of the National Intelligence Agency, BIN, has been challengd to reveal in public the information he submitted to parliament (DPR) about twenty local and foreign NGOs which are accused of disrupting national security in the period leading up to the presidential election on 5 July. He has been asked to explain the political motivation for this.
The challenge was issued by the coordinator for Kontras, the Commission for the Disappeared and Vicitms of Violence, Usman Hamid, the Director of Imparsial (Indonesia Human Rights Monitor), Rachland Nashidik, and Hendardi of PBHI, the Legal Aid and Human Rights Advocacy League in a press release issued on 28 May.
As earlier reported, BIN announced that a number of local and foreign NGOs are deemed to be a threat to national security. Among the twenty NGOs is the International Crisis Group whose representative in Indonesia. is Sidney Jones, and ELSHAM, the Institute for Advocacy and Human Rights in Papua.
Commission I of the DPR is also pressing BIN to take preventive measures and, if necessary, arrest NGOs which jeopardise national security, including excluding Sidney Jones.
The submission to the DPR by BIN is seen by Kontras, Imparsial and the PBHI as proof that it is hostile towards the freedom of political rights and democracy. Still worse. BIN is spreading disinformation to the public that the expression of political rights is a threat to security.
"We need to know BIN's political motivation in spreading such information. Is it related to the growing opposition to military presidential candidates or are there other motives?" said Hendardi.
The actions taken by the chief of BIN is beyond its powers and should provoke a reprimand from the president. "What we want to know is whether this measure is being taken as part of the policy of the Megawati cabinet. If this is the case", he said, "this signifies that Megawati, as a presidential candidate, has failed to emerge as a non-militaristic candidate. If not, it is giving an erroneous impression of the views of Megawati".
The view that oganisations within civil society can influence international opinion is very naive. There have been many reports in the media about criticisms of the government emannating from NGOs.
Usman Hamid also said that the decision to expel Sidney Jones is highly irresponsible. The support being given by the DPR would appear to represent the views of certain political parties which consider that they are being harmed by NGO activities.
[Translated by TAPOL]