Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing law and human rights will summon the National Police due to escalating violations of basic freedoms nationwide.

"Recent cancellations of book discussions by force, as well as the ban on singer Lady Gaga, have shown the police's inability to uphold freedom in the country," commission chairman Benny Kabur Harman said Wednesday.

"The police must not bow to the Islam Defenders Front [FPI] or any other hard-line groups. We will arrange a meeting with the people to further discuss this." The Democratic Party lawmaker added that the police's favor of violent groups would trigger people to impose vigilante justice.

"It doesn't make sense when the police ban Lady Gaga from performing here in the name of morality, while they do nothing with rampant prostitution and gambling, for example. It appears to me that the police have inconsistently approached the issue from the morality point of view," Benny said, adding the state should take its hands off morality. (mtq)