Indonesia: 29 Gegana commanders discuss international human rights standards for policing

13 April 2016

Denpasar – Chiefs and deputy chiefs of the Gegana police force, representing headquarters and 27 provinces, are gathering to discuss international human rights standards for policing. The workshop – co-organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Brimob – is being held on 13–15 April 2016 in Denpasar, Bali.

Gegana's primary duty is to be the strike force for the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) in high risk situations, including counterterrorism and security operations. Given the nature of Gegana's work, it is essential that its commanders be aware of international human rights standards for policing so that they can integrate them into their structure and their command-and-control mechanism.

The chief of Brimob, Insp. Gen. Murad Ismail, welcomed the joint efforts of Brimob and the ICRC to spread knowledge of international policing standards, including among Gegana commanders. "Nowadays people understand their rights and actively monitor police work and services," he said. "Police officers therefore need to be aware of and embrace human rights in their work, particularly given how sensitive the issue is and its high news value."

Daniel Agob, an ICRC regional delegate for police and security forces, emphasized that the ICRC does not work on police reform. Rather, "the ICRC maintains a continuous dialogue with police around the world, including Gegana. We seek to promote respect for international policing standards and improve compliance with them during law enforcement operations such as arrests, searches and seizures, and domestic security operations."

The ICRC's security-forces and police delegates are all former police officers, making them well-suited to help police forces incorporate international humanitarian law and human-rights standards into their training and day-to-day practices. Ultimately, the aim is to create an environment conducive to compliance with human-rights principles, as they apply to law enforcement. The ICRC's delegation in Jakarta has been working with the Indonesian National Police since 1996.

For further information, please contact:
Sonny Nomer, ICRC Jakarta, tel: +62 811 860 7232
AKP Naryo, Assistant to the Chief of Brimob, tel: +62 821 2345 6453