The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) is planning to monitor accounts on social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook that they deem suspicious.
“We will of course monitor those that endanger, those that are inclined toward terror and subversion. But we will forward the data to the Communications and Information Technology Ministry,” BIN head Sutanto said Tuesday during a discussion about the draft of the intelligence bill with the House of Representatives’ Commission I.
He said that the decision to determine what steps should be taken to monitor an account lay with the Communications and Information Technology Ministry.
Sutanto added that “certain parties” could take advantage of social networking sites.
“We only provide early warnings to related institutions, for instance, with legal matters we hand them over to the police, smuggling to the customs and excise office. We want to strengthen the related departments,” he said.
Social networking sites are thriving in Indonesia where millions of people are now connected to the Internet. Such sites have been used to organize several online movements to criticize the government.
During the hearing, Sutanto asserted that the BIN would never become a super body because its operation and coordinating function was subject to law and close supervision by the lawmakers.
“BIN will never abuse its power because the agency and other institutions with intelligence functions are ‘confined’ by the laws on human rights, state secrets and free-flowing information and their day-to-day operations are closely supervised by the House. It can no longer function as it did during the New Order era, but it has to make adjustments to fit with the current democratic situation.”
He defended a much-criticized bill that would give the BIN the authority to plant bugs and carry out arrests, to bolster its effectiveness, but said that such operations would be conducted in compliance with the law and under close supervision of the House.
“BIN will not carry out arrests and interceptions arbitrarily because any arrest would be processed by law enforcers such as the police, attorneys and court judges and most interceptions will be conducted with approval from the court. In emergency cases, arresting may proceed without court approval,” he said.
The bill has drawn strong opposition from pro-human rights nongovernmental organizations, who are concerned that the law lends the BIN significant powers and indirectly allows intelligence agents to go against the human rights law in conducting their operations.
In anticipation of any power abuses committed by intelligence agents in the field, the House’s commission has proposed the establishment of a coordinating body so that all state institutions with an intelligence function cannot arbitrary abuse their power.
Ramadhan Pohan of the Democratic Party, Effendy Choirie, who was recently dismissed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Tri Tamtomo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the bill had to define clearly the terms of dangers and threats because not all illegal activities could be interpreted as endangering the state and national interests.
Effendy asked that the bill’s deliberation be open to the public and for the commission to remain open to any input from the public. “All journalists should be given access to information and be informed about controversial issues discussed by the commission and the government,” he said.
Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, who accompanied Sutanto at the bill’s deliberation, said the proposed coordinating body was not needed because all intelligence functions would be integrated under the coordination of the BIN and it would likely slow down the BIN’s operations.
“The integration will facilitate the BIN in conducting its operations and its coordinating function more effectively,” he said, adding that the proposed establishment of a small supervisory team from the House commission also was not necessary because the House could summon the BIN chief any time it wanted.
“We will of course monitor those that endanger, those that are inclined toward terror and subversion. But we will forward the data to the Communications and Information Technology Ministry,” BIN head Sutanto said Tuesday during a discussion about the draft of the intelligence bill with the House of Representatives’ Commission I.
He said that the decision to determine what steps should be taken to monitor an account lay with the Communications and Information Technology Ministry.
Sutanto added that “certain parties” could take advantage of social networking sites.
“We only provide early warnings to related institutions, for instance, with legal matters we hand them over to the police, smuggling to the customs and excise office. We want to strengthen the related departments,” he said.
Social networking sites are thriving in Indonesia where millions of people are now connected to the Internet. Such sites have been used to organize several online movements to criticize the government.
During the hearing, Sutanto asserted that the BIN would never become a super body because its operation and coordinating function was subject to law and close supervision by the lawmakers.
“BIN will never abuse its power because the agency and other institutions with intelligence functions are ‘confined’ by the laws on human rights, state secrets and free-flowing information and their day-to-day operations are closely supervised by the House. It can no longer function as it did during the New Order era, but it has to make adjustments to fit with the current democratic situation.”
He defended a much-criticized bill that would give the BIN the authority to plant bugs and carry out arrests, to bolster its effectiveness, but said that such operations would be conducted in compliance with the law and under close supervision of the House.
“BIN will not carry out arrests and interceptions arbitrarily because any arrest would be processed by law enforcers such as the police, attorneys and court judges and most interceptions will be conducted with approval from the court. In emergency cases, arresting may proceed without court approval,” he said.
The bill has drawn strong opposition from pro-human rights nongovernmental organizations, who are concerned that the law lends the BIN significant powers and indirectly allows intelligence agents to go against the human rights law in conducting their operations.
In anticipation of any power abuses committed by intelligence agents in the field, the House’s commission has proposed the establishment of a coordinating body so that all state institutions with an intelligence function cannot arbitrary abuse their power.
Ramadhan Pohan of the Democratic Party, Effendy Choirie, who was recently dismissed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Tri Tamtomo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the bill had to define clearly the terms of dangers and threats because not all illegal activities could be interpreted as endangering the state and national interests.
Effendy asked that the bill’s deliberation be open to the public and for the commission to remain open to any input from the public. “All journalists should be given access to information and be informed about controversial issues discussed by the commission and the government,” he said.
Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, who accompanied Sutanto at the bill’s deliberation, said the proposed coordinating body was not needed because all intelligence functions would be integrated under the coordination of the BIN and it would likely slow down the BIN’s operations.
“The integration will facilitate the BIN in conducting its operations and its coordinating function more effectively,” he said, adding that the proposed establishment of a small supervisory team from the House commission also was not necessary because the House could summon the BIN chief any time it wanted.