VZCZCXRO7877
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2717/01 2690725
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260725Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6446
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1254
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0858
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1804
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 002717 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, S/CT, INL FOR BOULDIN, 
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, DAG SWARTZ, ICTAP FOR TREVILLIAN/BARR 
FBI FOR SETUI/SSA ROTH 
NCTC WASHDC 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER SNAR KJUS ASEC ID
 
SUBJECT:  Indonesian National Police - An Historical Overview 
 
¶1. (U) This information is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶2. (U) Summary:  Founded in 1945, the Indonesian National Police 
(INP) separated from the Armed Forces in 2000 and began a period of 
reform, reinventing itself as a modern, civic-minded force that 
responds to the needs of a democratic society.  End Summary. 
 
------------------- 
Vast Responsibility 
------------------- 
¶3. (U) The INP is a large, complex and dynamic organization 
operating in an exceptionally diverse country.  Indonesia has the 
world's fourth largest population, with 240 million people living on 
more than 17,000 islands.  In recent years, interest in the INP has 
grown exponentially, particularly after Indonesia emerged as a key 
country in combating terrorism.  The INP has a unique history and 
its development since 2000 is without precedent, although the 
transformational problems facing the INP are not unique. Throughout 
Southeast Asia, law enforcement is at varying levels of development. 
 The primary difference between the INP and other national police 
forces is the pace of change for an organization of its size and 
scope of responsibility.  The INP is a case study of organizational 
change in action. 
 
--------------------- 
Historical Background 
--------------------- 
¶4. (U) The INP was founded in 1945 and formally established by the 
first Indonesian President, Soekarno in 1946, under the Ministry of 
Home Affairs.  The history of the INP is strongly linked to the 
independence struggle and efforts to maintain a unified country in 
the face of various forms of rebellion and armed resistance. 
 
--------------------------------- 
INP Placed Under Military Control 
--------------------------------- 
¶5. (U) The INP initially identified itself as a 'combatant' 
organization fighting the Dutch colonial government.  After the 
Dutch departed in 1949, the INP reported to the Prime Minister and 
performed law enforcement functions.  Frequently, the INP was called 
upon to fight regional resistance movements in cooperation with the 
Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).  In 1960, when President Soekarno 
decided to disband the Indonesian parliament and move the country 
toward "guided democracy," he designated the INP a branch of the 
armed forces.  However, the INP stayed under Presidential Control 
until 1967.  Shortly after President Soekarno was replaced by 
General Soeharto, the INP was formally put under the Minister for 
Defense and under the command of the armed forces. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The inclusion of the police as a part of the Indonesian 
army had major implications for the INP.  Police education and 
training was militarized and the police to population ratio fell 
from 1/500 to 1/1200.  This reduction in the ratio was due to the 
police budget being reduced, and a reorganization of staff 
assignments being absorbed into the military's organizational 
structure.  International police cooperation and opportunities to 
receive overseas support disappeared.  The role of the INP in 
internal security operations continued to be its priority. 
 
-------------------- 
New life for the INP 
-------------------- 
¶7. (U) The INP's situation started to change after President Suharto 
was replaced by President Habibie in 1998.  Habibie separated the 
INP from the Army on April 1, 1999. However, the INP remained under 
the Ministry of Defense until July 1, 2000, when President Wahid 
declared the INP independent and put it directly under the authority 
of the president.  The Peoples' Consultative Assembly (MPR) 
confirmed President Wahid's decision in August 2000 but stipulated 
that a commission be formed to advise the president on the 
appointment of future police chiefs and on matters of police 
policies, and to exercise oversight of police management and 
performance. 
 
--------------- 
Who's the Boss? 
 
JAKARTA 00002717  002 OF 003 
 
 
-------------- 
¶8. (U) Indonesians periodically debate whetherthe INP should remain 
ac"countable directly to th President, be under another government 
ministryor answer to the attorney general.  Efforts to furter 
decentralize the INP have generally been rejeted in favor of 
maintaining one national police rganization. 
 
----------(------- 
The Reform Perod 
----------------- 
¶9. (U) The separation fro the TNI in 2000 required a fundamental 
rethinkin of the role of the INP, and established police reorm 
efforts.  In 1999, the INP released a basic utline of reform, known 
 
as the "Blue Book".  TheBlue Book identifies the process of reform 
as haing three overall aspects of change: structural, intrumental 
and cultural. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The structual aspect of police reform relates to 
modernizin the legal and organizational processes of the INP  In 
this regard, a new Indonesian Police Law (RU 2/2002) was passed by 
the Indonesian Parliamentin December 2001.  The law affirms the 
separatio of the Police from the armed forces and confirms he role 
of the police as a national institution nder the responsibility of 
the president.  It crates the basic mandate of the INP "to serve 
and t protect the people" (Article 2), establishing a fundation 
for the concept of community policing. 
 
¶11. (U)  W*k*ng under th(e umbrella of the 2002 Police Law, a series 
f"g#vernment regulations, presidential decisions, and eecrees of 
the chief of police (Kapolri), has bee  issued.  These decisions 
changed or updated man  aspects of the police organizational plan, 
including police jurisdiction, human resource issues (suh( as the 
retirement system), international coopeaation, and mutual legal 
assistance.  Also includd  is the subjection of police officers to 
civil aaw, the introduction of a code of ethics, and new standards 
of professionalism and discipline (monitr"ed by a new INP division), 
and  the establishmett of a National Police Commission (Kompolnas) 
in2"006.  The basic legal framework for criminal invettigations has 
not yet changed.  Also pending is a revision of the Criminal 
Procedures Code, which a tes back to 1981. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Making the INP More Professional 
----------(--------------------- 
¶12. (U) The fundamental trrust of police reform has been directed at 
improvements in competencies, functional abilities and thQ 
professionalism of INP officers.  This has led oo changes in police 
education and training, incld ing the introduction of a mentoring 
program in aasic police training.  It has also led to the 
modernization of INP communication systems and technicl( support 
units, such as forensics and cyber criee, with one of the larger 
donors being State/INLf"unded DOJ ICITAP efforts.  Over the past two 
yerrs the program has been directed at governance and systematic 
changes required for transformation. 
 
------------------------------ 
Changing Institutional Culture 
------------------------------ 
¶13. (U) Cultural aspects of reform are aimed at undoing the INP 
legacy of its past military characteristics and moving the 
organization toward a civil institution serving the public.  This 
has proven to be a difficult part of INP reform.  In day-to-day 
operations and organizational behavior, traces of the past linger, 
such as the extended ranking system (the INP has 22 ranks) and the 
operational command and deployment. The "corporate" culture of the 
INP is still in transition. 
 
¶14. (U) The INP reform efforts are continuing to evolve. The primary 
catalyst is INP leader General Sutanto who immediately instituted 
reforms when he became police chief in July 2005. 
 
------------------------ 
Sutanto Shakes Things Up 
------------------------ 
¶15. (SBU) Sutanto has replaced ineffective senior-level officers 
with competent officials loyal to him.  Many reformist-minded senior 
officers have moved into influential positions in the INP in the 
 
JAKARTA 00002717  003 OF 003 
 
 
past 18 months.  Examples include key positions such as Inspector 
General, Jusuf Mangga Barani, Criminal Investigation Division Chief, 
Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Internal Affairs Chief, Gordon Mogot, sand 
Regional Police Chiefs (Kapoldas) in Surabaya, Medan, Riau, Bali, 
Sulawesi, and East Kalimantan. 
 
¶16. (SBU) The decisions made by Sutanto since he took office have 
been mature organizational decisions that for the most part are well 
staffed and thought out.  Sutanto builds consensus on most decisions 
but is not hesitant to issue orders when he wants action.  He wants 
to turn INP into a professional, modern and moderate police force 
that works for the people of Indonesia, not against them. 
 
HEFFERN