Bill Prevents Wild Interpretation of TNI Role

The deliberations on the Terrorism Bill on Wednesday at the House of Representatives in Jakarta have decided to replace the phrase “threat to state security” in the definition of terrorism with “disruption of security”.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

A meeting between the Special Committee on the Terrorism Bill and government representatives takes place in the Nusantara II building of the House of Representatives, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/5/2018). The meeting discussed the definition of terrorism. The government representatives included Head of the National Law Development Agency (BPHN) Enny Nurbaningsih (center), Harkristuti Harkrisniwo (left) and former justice minister Muladi (right).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The deliberations on the Terrorism Bill on Wednesday (23/5/2018) at the House of Representatives in Jakarta have decided to replace the phrase “threat to state security” in the definition of terrorism with “disruption of security”. The move is intended to avoid indiscriminate interpretations of the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) role in counterterrorism operations.

However, the House is not yet unanimous on the change. Three of the 10 House factions – the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), National Awakening Party (PKB) and Golkar –do not agree with the rephrased definition of terrorism. They still agree on the definition of terrorism the government proposed: “any acts that use violence or the threat of violence that cause an atmosphere of widespread terror or fear that could result in massive casualties and/or cause damage or destruction of strategic vital objects, the environment, public facilities, or international facilities”.