Involvement Of The TNI To Overcome Terrorism, Mahfud MD: The Police Cannot Be Alone

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD explained that elements of the TNI are needed to assist the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and Densus 88 Polri in dealing with criminal acts of terrorism.

This is in response to the controversy in the draft Presidential Decree on the Task of the TNI in Overcoming Terrorism Actions. The draft Perpres was submitted to the DPR on 4 May. Furthermore, the DPR will provide considerations.

"The TNI must be involved in the escalation of terror. Polri cannot be alone. There are certain circumstances in which only the TNI can do that. For example, there are acts of terror in places that are not in the jurisdiction of the Police," Mahfud MD told reporters on Saturday. , August 8.

The police, said Mahfud, have jurisdiction to enforce law only in Indonesia's territorial sovereignty. Meanwhile, if the terrorism movement has entered the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Police do not have the authority to take action.

Then, Mahfud said that Law Number 5 of 2018 concerning the Eradication of Terrorism states that the TNI is involved in dealing with acts of terrorism.

"The involvement of the TNI in resolving acts of terrorism is regulated by a presidential decree in consultation with the DPR. So, the involvement of the TNI in acts of terrorism is an order of the law," he said.

It is known that since the draft was submitted to the DPR, the wave of rejection continued. A number of activists and community leaders even made a petition against the draft Perpres.

The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform The draft Presidential Decree which regulates the involvement of the TNI in overcoming the terrorism problem from the start has indeed generated controversy and resistance from the public.

Because, this draft is considered to be threatening the life of democracy and human rights (HAM) because it will give excessive authority to the TNI.

This coalition consists of Kontras, Imparsial, Elsam, PBHI, Setara Institute, HRWG, YLBHI, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), LBH Press, Perludem, LBH Jakarta, Public Virtue Institue, ICJR, Perludem, and Pilnet Indonesia.

TNI, he continued, does not need to have a deterrence and recovery function in handling acts of terrorism. "The provision of deterrence and recovery functions as stipulated in the old draft Presidential Decree is too excessive and threatens the rule of law and human rights," he said.