TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and 16 cross-regional legal aid institutions opined that attempts to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) are similar to attacks on democracy. They remind the public of conditions in Indonesia under the authoritarian power of the New Order for 32 years.

“Attacks on KPK and anti-graft movement are attacks on democracy,” said the YLBHI chairman Asfinawati in a written statement, Thursday, September 12.

According to Asfinawati, the dictatorial government in the new order era went hand in hand with corruption, collusion, and nepotism, which occurred due to centered, secluded state administration.

She said that such rampant practices attributed to distortion in the form of single interpretation by the authority in every aspect. The Tap MPR 1998 noted the abuse of power, legal harassment, neglect of a sense of justice, as well as lack of protection and legal certainty for the community.

“In other words, corruption is near to autocratic government, either as its goal or as a tool to uphold it, which result in public misery,” Asfin said.

According to the institutions, attempts to restrict the anti-graft body is currently happening in the era of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. It is carried out systematically through revisions of KPK Law and involvement of problematic candidates to be future chairmen of the body.

The attempts not only target the institution but also the activists, who are bombarded by phone terrors, mobile phone hacking, up to physical intimidation.

Several lecturers rejecting the KPK Law revisions reported they were terrorized and their phones were hacked dozens of times a day. “Those acts are evil attempts to restrict the corruption eradication movement,” she underlined.

Asfin then called on all people to demand Jokowi to fulfill his promises about rejecting any forms that weaken the KPK. She also demanded DPR act based on the law and regulation by curbing corruption practices. “Not acting otherwise, protecting corruptors’ interest,” she concluded.

M ROSSENO AJI