POLICE SHOULD NOT SEEK PUBLICITY IN FIGHTING TERROR : HMI

Jakarta, Aug 26 (ANTARA) - An executive chairman of the central board of the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (HMI), Adien Jauhari, said police should not create the impression they are seeking publicity in their efforts to fight terrorism.

He said here on Wednesday that police should not play their own games in cracking down on terrorism.

Jauhari made the remarks in response to a statement by Police Chief Bambang H Danuri who denied that the police headquarters had issued a policy on the monitoring and supervision of religious propagation activities in the country.

"We accept the denial and clarifications but we want to call the police attention that their counter-terrorist actions should not create the impression that it was done in a one-man show. They should also involve the various elements of the people, including religious institutions," he said.

On the issue that sermons at mosques would be monitored and supervised as part of the efforts to fight terrorism, the HMI executive said that it was a misleading step and action.

"This will hurt Muslims, and for us, this action seems to be beyond the responsibility of the police headquarters," he added.