Activists Criticize The Number Of Retired Police Officers Entering The Corporate, Worried About Being A Backing For Environmental Destroyer

Environmental activists from ICEL, Walhi, Greenpeace, and the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago after holding an audience with the Police Reform Acceleration Commission, Wednesday, November 26. (Diah-VOI)

JAKARTA - Environmental activists from ICEL, Walhi, Greenpeace Indonesia, and the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago held an audience with the Commission for the Acceleration of Police Reform, Wednesday, November 26.

The head of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak, highlighted the issue of conflicts of interest within the National Police, including the placement of high-ranking officers in various agencies and the involvement of retired officers in the corporate structure.

He assessed that the presence of retired National Police officers in companies, including those suspected of damaging the environment, became the root of the emergence of inappropriate support or protection.

"Regarding the many retired National Police officers who are part of the corporation. And this is certainly the root of the problem of protection or backing that is not appropriate for environmentally destroying corporations," Leonard said at the Ministry of State Secretariat Office, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, November 26.

Leonard said the phenomenon affected the independence of the police at the regional level. The hierarchical police structure makes the voices of retired high-ranking officers continue to have an influence in decision making.

"It happened in many places in this republic, even in corporations that clearly violate the law," he said.

National WALHI Legal and Defense Manager, Teo Reffelsen, requested a thorough evaluation of the assignment of Polri personnel to secure the company.

"We also ask the police reform team today so that there is a policy then that evaluates and conducts a moratorium on all police unit activities that carry out security in the company," said Teo.

He assessed that the involvement of police units in securing the company often caused the parties, including the use of excessive force in handling agrarian conflicts and residents' protests.

Meanwhile, the Head of the AMAN Case Handling Division, Sinung Karto, highlighted the imbalance in the response of the National Police in handling reports between the public and corporations.

"We also said earlier that it has actually become a common knowledge of how the police take sides in dealing with agrarian conflicts," said Sinung.

Sinung assessed that reports from the public often run slowly, while reports from companies moved much faster. Therefore, AMAN requested strengthening the monitoring mechanism, including involving external parties who are free from intimidation.

"Then we ask that the monitoring mechanism be strengthened," he added.