Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Legislators are set to deliberate on the national security bill, which aims at improving coordination among state institutions in facing various security threats, but is seen by activists as a threat to democracy.
House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense will open dialogue with civil society groups regarding the bill, which was submitted to the House on June 18.
"Starting on Monday, we will be open to the public for any input regarding the bill," deputy commission head Tubagus Hasanuddin told The Jakarta Post via text message on Sunday. "We welcome input from experts, NGOs, the press, academics and civil societies."
He added that his office would meet academics from the University of Indonesia, Paramadina University and the Indonesian Institute of the Sciences (LIPI) on Monday.
"That is just a small portion of the public input we will hear," said Tubagus. "Once we've received all the necessary input, the commission will enter intensive discussion on the bill, according to the prevailing mechanisms in its deliberation."
Human rights activists are wary of the bill, saying it encourages shadowy intelligence operations that would lead to human rights abuses.
Respected human rights watchdog Imparsial said the bill had many loopholes. "The bill does not include human rights as one of its basic paradigms. It excludes clauses on human rights in our Constitution," Imparsial program director Al Araf told the Post.
"The protection of human rights is the core of security management," he said. "Failing to include a human rights perspective in the bill can cause problems in the future."
Indonesia has been a target of deadly terror attacks since 2002, and many have advocated for stronger legislation to cope with such threats. The government said the national security bill would serve as an "umbrella law" for the intelligence bill and the draft revision to the antiterror law.
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the bill, which would establish a National Security Council, would improve coordination among various state institutions in facing various threats.
Al Araf added that he was also concerned about the possibility that the bill would be used to grant the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) authorities to arrest and wiretap people suspected of threatening national security. The bill says that the national security apparatus are granted such powers.
"The bill stipulates that the central-level national security elements include the TNI and the BIN. It means that such authorities can be given to them," he said.
The government insisted on giving the BIN authority to arrest and wiretap with the intelligence bill, which is now being deliberated at the House. The effort has been opposed by lawmakers, who believe such authorities should be given to law enforcers.
Imparsial also criticized the bill for giving too much authority to the planned National Security Council, such as the authority to determine when the government should impose martial law.
"Such authority must be in the hands of the president. The president is indeed the head of the council, but why is the final decision still in the hands of the council," he said.
Tubagus said the National Security Bill and the Intelligence Bill would not be deliberated at the same time. "We will decide if it is more natural to proceed first with the National Security Bill."