Breakfast with Bandarto Bandoro
Need for Defence and Security Consensus on Stopping People Smuggling

Kompas
9 November 2001

(Translation - original article below)

A consensus in the defence and security community is needed on ways to stop people smuggling, which is now spreading, said Bandarto Bandoro. In this way, differences between concepts of defence and security can be overcome.

In the opinion of the political researcher from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a feeling of nervousness had indeed arisen when Indonesia tried to give priority to combating people smuggling. This can occur when the defence and security functions are not consistent with each other. This impetus for separation was indeed made possible when the Police Force and the Defence Department were separated from each other two years ago. Thus the impression arises that responsibility for the problem is being passed back from one side to the other.

In the meantime, the problem of illegal immigrants is gaining attention in many ways. For example, on 19 October, the motorised sailing vessel KLM Bontang [sic] which was transporting illegal migrants, sank somewhere south of the Sunda Strait. It is possible that all 353 passengers lost their lives.

This case developed further when two suspects, Abu Quassey and Brigadier Agus Safuan were arrested by the police on Wednesday 7/11. Quassey is an Egyptian citizen in possession of a counterfeit Jakarta Regional Government residence permit. He does not possess a passport. Agus Safuan is a member of the Lembang Police Sector, Bandung, West Java, who accompanied the illegal immigrants from their accommodation in Bogor.

The Australian Government has requested the extradition of Abu Quassey to that country. He is suspected to be the ringleader of a series of people smuggling activities.

Arising from this case, Bantarto said that the spread of people smuggling had to be seen as a threat to security. "Because who knows whether these illegal immigrants who arrive in this country may engage in activities which could damage internal stability."

"Nevertheless, there is a division of duties between those responsible for security and those responsible for defence. That is, there is a point at which the military component must come to the fore. The military must be on its guard to avoid the entry of illegal immigrants, through use of naval forces and the intelligence system", he said.

If this can be achieved, then Indonesia, which is often used as a transit point by illegal immigrants, will no longer face a security problem. "(but) If they have already entered our territory, then the responsibility of our security forces comes into play."

Unfortunately, the division of labour as suggested above has not been accompanied by any real coordination. "Hence the separation between the defence and security functions has produced a very broad effect," he said.

Bantarto agrees that the problem of the division between the defence and security functions remains a grey area. When faced with illegal migrant problems the two functions cannot operate by themselves. A national policy is required which can coordinate all the components of the two policy areas. "If this can be effected, we will not longer need to worry about how to overcome such problems", he concluded.


Jumat, 09 November 2001, 07:01 WIB
Sarapan bersama Bantarto Bandoro: Diperlukan, Konsensus Hankam Selesaikan Penyelundupan Manusia

Jakarta, KCM

Konsensus nasional pertahanan keamanan (hankam) diperlukan untuk menyelesaikan masalah penyelundupan manusia yang kini marak, ungkap Bantarto Bandoro. Dengan begitu, perbedaan antara konsep pertahanan dan keamanan terjembatani.

Dalam pengamatan peneliti bidang politik dari Centre for Strategic and International Studies memang terjadi semacam kegamangan tatkala Indonesia berupaya mengataskan masalah penyelundupan manusia. Ini bisa terjadi justru ketika fungsi pertahanan keamanan tidak lagi dijadikan satu. Momentum pemisahan ini memang muncul tatkala Polisi dipisahkan dari TNI, dua tahun lalu. Akibatnya, kesan untuk saling melempar masalah antara pihak keamanan dan pertahanan mengemuka.

Sementara itu, persoalan imigran gelap hingga kini menyita perhatian banyak kalangan di Indonesia, contoh kasusnya. Pada 19 Oktober lalu, misalnya, di sebelah selatan Selat Sunda Kapal Layar Motor (KLM) Bontang yang dimanfaatkan mengangkut imigran gelap tenggelam. Besar kemungkinan 353 penumpangnya yang akan menuju Australia tak terselamatkan.

Kasus ini makin berkembang sewaktu dua tersangkanya yakni Abu Quassey dan Brigadir Agus Safuan ditangkap pihak kepolisian pada Rabu (7/11). Quassey, adalah warga negara Mesir yang memiliki Kartu Tanda Penduduk (KTP) palsu DKI Jakarta. Ia sendiri tak memiliki paspor. Sementara, Agus Safuan adalah anggota Kepolisian Sektor Lembang, Bandung, Jawa Barat yang menjadi pengantar para imigran gelap itu dari penampungan mereka di Bogor (16/9).

Sampai sejauh ini, pemerintah Australia minta agar Quassey diekstradisi ke negara tersebut. Quassey dituduh sebagai otak serangkaian penyelundupan manusia atau people smuggling selama ini.

Bertolak dari kasus ini, kepada KCM di Jakarta (8/11), Bantarto mengatakan penyelundupan manusia di masa kini haruslah dipandang sebagai ancaman terhadap pertahanan. "Sebab, siapa tahu para imigran gelap itu datang ke Indonesia sambil menyebarkan manuver-manuver yang bisa merusak stabilitas di dalam negeri," katanya.

Akan tetapi, sebetulnya, ada semacam pola dasar tugas antara pihak yang bertanggung jawab di bidang pertahanan dengan di bidang keamanan. Artinya, terdapat satu titik di mana komponen militer harus ditempatkan di depan. "Militer harus menjaga agar para imigran gelap itu tidak masuk misalnya dengan pengerahan kekuatan laut dan sistem intelijen," tuturnya.

Kalau hal tersebut bisa dilakukan, tentunya Indonesia, yang kerap dipakai sebagai tempat transit para imigran tersebut tak lagi menghadapi masalah keamanan. "Bila mereka sudah masuk ke wilayah kita, tugas bidang keamananlah yang diterapkan," ujarnya.

Sayangnya, pembagian tugas seperti di atas kurang dilengkapi dengan proses koordinasi antara keduanya. "Di sini pemisahan antara pertahanan dan keamanan ternyata memberikan efek yang sangat luas," jelasnya.

Menyikapi hal di atas, Bantarto sendiri sepakat bahwa masalah pertahanan dan keamanan memang berada pada wilayah abu-abu. Maksudnya, jika dihadapkan pada kasus imigran gelap tidak mungkin tugas hankam itu berjalan sendiri-sendiri. Maka, penting dilakukan adalah hadirnya kebijakan nasional yang bisa merangkum semua komponen dua bidang tadi. "Jika itu ada kita tak usah lagi memikirkan bagaimana mengataskan masalah-masalah seperti itu," tandasnya. (prim)
 

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