Govt vows to get tough with violent organizations
Dicky Christanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 09/01/2010 8:42 AM | National
Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi said on Tuesday the government would not take kindly to orga-nizations that broke laws, amid concerns of growing violence committed by certain groups.
However, it would not disband an organization without evidence that it had violated the 1985 Law on Mass Organizations, Gamawan said.
He added that the government would not dissolve an entire organization if only one of its branches was found to have broken laws.
“We have to be fair with this,” Gamawan said as quoted by Antara.
By law, the government is allowed to freeze an organization for several reasons: If it disrupts public order; receives donations from foreign entities or government without the government’s consent; or if it provides donations to foreign countries or entities that might jeopardize Indonesia ’s interests.
Gamawan said last year the government had warned an organization on allegations of disrupting public order.
“We have already sent a warning letter to the organization. If they receive two more of these, we will freeze the organization,” he said without elaborating.
The issue of organizations taking the law into their own hands was also raised by National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri at a coordination meeting between the National Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the Home Ministry and lawmakers.
Bambang suggested it was time for the government to consider disbanding organizations that had often taken on the role of police.
The law on mass organizations stipulates that the authority to freeze or disband a mass organization lies with the Home Ministry, after consultations with related institutions.
Chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said the police were ready to investigate any mass organizations that had broken the law.
“We will not debate which organization should be disbanded now. The police are not granted with such privileges. However, I assure you that we will investigate whichever organization violates the law,” he said.
He denied allegations that some organizations had received special treatment from police.
Wahid Institute program coordinator Rumadi questioned the government’s political will to get tough on violent organizations, saying he doubted it had the courage to disband them, especially those with religious banners.
“It will need a huge amount of political will to be firm with those religious organizations that often take the law into their own hands.
“And I don’t see [enough] political will in the current government,” he said, adding that the government should be more focused on preventing organizations from becoming authoritarian.
“We already posses the right law. This leaves us with the question of how to apply it firmly,” he said.
Mass organizations such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) are widely recognized for violent attacks, which have often been ignored by authorities.
