Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Human rights activists on Thursday criticized President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for using the military in the fight against terrorists in the country, saying some officers might exploit their role for their own interests as in the New Order regime.

The activists, united under the Civil Society Network for Security Sector Reform, urged the president to reconsider his decision.

Oslan Purba, from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), argued that increasing the military's role in fighting terrorism, and granting it the authority to arrest, would produce fears that the military was once again in charge of domestic security as it was during Suharto's New Order regime.

The military was used by Suharto to control civilians and suppress their aspirations in political, economic, social and cultural fields.

"We are still in the middle of the reform process. The fear that the military will resume the role it played in the New Order era makes us recall its willingness to control citizens' lives," Oslan said.

Edwin Partogi, from Kontras, said the military had never asked to fight terrorism. "It is better for the president to improve the ability of the police to fight terrorists, rather than use the military," Edwin said.

However, Bambang Widodo Umar, an independent police expert, said the country's police were already capable of dealing with terrorist attacks here.

"It is better [for President Yudhoyono] to empower the police, who I think are capable of tackling the terror threat," he said, adding that involving the military would cost more money.

Yudhoyono earlier hit back at critics of his decision to give the Armed Forces an increased role in fighting terrorism, saying the move did not run counter to the country's principles of democracy. He said that in times of peace, the military was needed to stop anti-separatist movements, armed rebellions and terrorism.

Yudhoyono, however, didn't dismiss criticism that the military might misuse its authority. He urged the military to shun repeating past human rights violations.

Following suicide bombings at Jakarta's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels last month, Yudhoyono ordered the military to deploy 40,000 personnel nationwide to monitor village-level activity and prevent more attacks. Antiterrorism desks exist in all regional military command centers.