Indonesian Police Chief Continues March of Disobedience

Surojo Bimantoro, the national police chief in Indonesia, who had refused a presidential order to step aside, managed a parade on 5th that was held near the presidential palace creating a stir of disobedience.

Bimantoro police chief skipped a parade of 5,000 officers and soldiers, a part of the centenary of the birth of founding president Sukarno, at the Merdeca Square at 9 o’clock on 5th.

Officers who belong to Indonesia’s 30 regional police agencies had parades in provinces across the country on the same day displaying their allegiance to the police chief. The heads of the police including three former attorney generals and Chairuddin Ismail, whom Wahid installed as a new deputy national police chief to replace Bimantoro, also participated in the disobedience move.

Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputi also supported Bimantoro on 4th by saying, ``replacement of a police chief has to be done according to the rules that the law prescribed.`` The reason why the vice president aligned with Bimantoro’s disobedience can be interpreted as a `press strategy` to induce an early resignation of president Wahid, who considers to declare a state of emergency.

It is to force Wahid to step down before the special session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is held, since the current unstable political phase can be worse when the impeachment of the president is decided.

It seems to be more difficult for president Wahid to break through the crisis by declaring a state of emergency because the military and police have turned their faces away from Wahid.

Hong Seong-Chul sungchul@donga.com