Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA12787
2006-10-23 03:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

NORTH SUMATRA POLICE: NEW SENSITIVITY TO HUMAN

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KJUS ID 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6809
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #2787 2960327
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 230327Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1540
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 012787 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS ID
SUBJECT: NORTH SUMATRA POLICE: NEW SENSITIVITY TO HUMAN
RIGHTS

Classified By: POLOFF SANJAY RAMESH FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 012787

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS ID
SUBJECT: NORTH SUMATRA POLICE: NEW SENSITIVITY TO HUMAN
RIGHTS

Classified By: POLOFF SANJAY RAMESH FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The Head of Police Intelligence for North
Sumatra, Herman Effendi, described the Indonesian police as
increasingly focused on human rights during an Oct.3 meeting
in Medan. He attributed this positive development partly to
widespread human rights training that has reached the lowest
levels of the force. He said Indonesian police were also
implementing ambitious public outreach activities to make
people aware of their rights. As proof of police commitment
to human rights, he pointed to the phenomena of arrests and
punishment of police personnel. End Summary.


2. (C) During an October 3 trip to Medan, Poloff called on
the Head of Police Intelligence for North Sumatra, Herman
Effendi, to discuss the police perspective on human rights.
Effendi, a native of Medan, has been a reliable source of
information on police issues. He told Poloff us that the
Indonesian police were operating under a "new paradigm" which
included a deeper understanding of and respect for human
rights. He said the Indonesian police realized that
maintenance of law and order could not come at the expense of
human rights, a vast change in attitude from previous years.


3. (C) In part, Effendi attributed this change in attitude to
widespread training of police personnel in human rights,
adding that human rights training extended down to the lowest
levels of the force. In fact, every member of the police
force carries a pocket book with "field guidance on human
rights." In this context, Effendi noted that many police
officials in North Sumatra had attended human rights training
offered by the U.S. Department of Justice International
Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP),
and that this training influenced their performance.


4. (C) Effendi told us that human rights training directly
impacted police tactics at the operating level. For example,
the North Sumatra police now have a special wing tasked with
addressing mass demonstrations. These troops are armed with
guns that fire only rubber bullets. As another example of
changed police attitudes, he said North Sumatra police
recently invited members of the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnas Ham) to engage in talks. Also, the North
Sumatra police meet regularly with members of local NGOs and
the local parliament to talk about human rights. In separate
discussions, local NGOs in Medan characterized relations with
the police as generally good.


5. (C) In addition to human rights training, Effendi said the
Indonesian police were also actively pursuing a public
outreach program to educate the public about their rights
under the law. For example, the North Sumatran police's
ambitious public outreach program included encouraging
community policing, holding town halls, and establishing a
"women's wing" to hear complaints by women. These programs
focused on giving the public information on their rights as
well as on legal procedures for seeking justice if police
violate their rights. Separately, local NGOs focused on
women's rights praised the establishment and functioning of
the women's wing.


6. (C) Effendi said it was increasingly common punish police
accused of criminal behavior or human rights violations. In
North Sumatra, he said that year-to-date, over 36 police had
been prosecuted for crimes such as drug dealing or stealing.
This, along with increasingly common national trials in which
high level police officers were punished for criminal acts or
corruption, deterred lower level police from committing such
acts.


7. (C) Effendi also said the Professional and Security
Division of the Indonesian Police (Propam) played an
increasingly active role as a watchdog over police
professionalism, police ethics, and police discipline. He
said any allegation of police brutality would lead to a
Propam investigation. Also, the Police Commission in
Jakarta, which consists of police leaders, academics, and
other prominent members of society, played an important role
in advising the police on human rights. This Commission had
not yet extended to the provincial level.




PASCOE