BIN intelligence chief Syamsir Siregar is accused of having too big a mouth.

Several times of late the head of state intelligence, Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN), Syamsir Siregar, has launched himself, willy nilly or not, into everyday political and police matters, causing some people to worry about the proper role of an intelligence chief.

After several violent demonstrations in Jakarta recently against oil/petrol price hikes by the government Siregar announced to the media that the mastermind of the demos was one Ferry Yuliantono, who at the time was in China, a member of the Komite Bangkit Indonesia (KBI). After returning to Indonesia Ferry was detained by police.

Talkative Syamsir Siregar.

Jhony Nelson Simandjuntak, of the Human Rights Commission (Komisi Nasional Hak Azasi Manusia, Komnas HAM), complains that BIN is getting too much involved in politics, and the Yuliantono case is proof of it. [1]

Earlier Syamsir Siregar had also accused a certain cabinet minister from a certain party of being disloyal to the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, because of his public opposition to the fuel price increase, and even of having provided funds to organise the demonstrations outside the parliament building and at Atma Jaya University on 16th June.

Deputy Rector of the Universitas Paramadina, Yudi Latif, says Syamsir Siregar is making president SBY look weak, as if the president needs the help of the talkative spy boss to maintain discipline in his cabinet, and [2]

Siregar shouldn’t be saying things like that in public.