Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Criminologist Adrianus Meliala laments the government's lack of action against crimes involving state officials.

During the inauguration Wednesday of his professorship at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Adrianus said that taking no action to stop crimes was a crime in itself.

Also an advisor to the National Police chief, Adrianus said this was reflected in the widely shared perception about the anticorruption drive which has spared state officials from prosecution.

"While the crimes are not a government policy, it is then an act of neglect by the state if these crimes are allowed to become rife," he said in his inauguration speech.

The impunity of state officials, Adrianus said, was a crystal clear example of such a state crime in past administrations, notably during Soeharto's 32-year rule.

"But while the Yudhoyono administration proves to be making democratic progress, there's still a complaint of how the state is reluctant to fully reform the Indonesian Military, how elements in the public attack each other, and how certain officials have escaped (rights activist) Munir's murder trial," he said.

Hoodlums and armed civilian groups that attack others and go unpunished, said Adrianus, are one example.

The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) is an infamous model of these groups, he said. FPI members have gained notoriety for vandalizing places they consider un-Islamic, such as nightclubs and publishers of adult magazines.

"... the government seems to be overwhelmed by rapid social and political changes and then 'borrows' the hands of civilians to carry out violence against other civilians," said Adrianus.

The 2004 murder of rights campaigner Munir has seen no one held accountable despite reports by a fact-finding team sanctioned by the President indicating the alleged involvement of State Intelligence Agency (BIN) officers.

Law enforcers, Adrianus said, should be able to hold the government accountable for such a state crime.

"But the question is can these law enforcers criminalize and punish state officials who created their institutions and gave them authority?" he said.

Furthermore, he added, there is very little attention given to state crimes because criminals are far less likely to be prosecuted if the crimes are less personal and on a larger scale.

"The best solution for a state crime is through coordination between the various state elements rather than pursuing a lawsuit," said Adrianus.