In collaboration with its Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) offices in Indonesia and Thailand, the Philippine office hosted senior police officials from Indonesia and the Royal Thai Police visiting their counterparts from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to share country-specific rights-based and community-based policing experiences and to draw up plans for a regional cooperation and information sharing mechanism. Initially starting with the Indonesian, Philippine, and Thai police, plans are being drawn up for a regional policing conference in Bangkok during the first quarter of 2013 possibly inviting delegates from police agencies within the region. The proposed conference will address themes and concerns common among the participating police delegations.

In their discussions with the PNP Chief, Police Director General Nicanor Bartolome and his senior officers, the delegations were given specific insights how rights-based and community policing has increased public trust in the PNP and greatly improved the organization’s effectiveness to carry out and implement its mandate. While sharing their respective countries’ experiences, it became evident that the Indonesian, Philippine, and Thai police had similar approaches to local policing which starts from the village (Indonesia), barangay (Philippines) or community (Thai) level, involving key leaders and mobilizing popular support. “Rights-based policing is something which every police officer must internalize and take to heart,” said PNP Deputy Director General Alan Purisima who initially met with the visiting delegation at the PNP National Headquarters. “It (rights-based policing) should not be seen just as a system of punishment for violators,” added Purisima.

Aside from their meeting with key PNP officers, the delegation met with the Chair of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP) Loretta Ann Rosales, the Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Human Rights Office (AFPHRO) Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan, Jr., the Chief of the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office Chief Superintendent Nestor Fajura who was the primary point of contact for the visiting delegation, and Attorney Marlon Manuel who is the coordinator of the “Alternative Law Group, Inc.” - HSF’s local partner in promoting local community-based human rights dialogues among state security and civilian actors. Attorney Manuel also gave a presentation on the Philippine experience where state security agencies, i.e. the military and the police, interact and work with CSOs to resolve specific rights-based issues as these affect the community.

The visit was participated in by Police Director Hubert Müller of the Bavarian Second Standby Police Department of Eichstätt, Germany. Director Müller worked with the PNP Training Service and the PNP officers who returned from a six-week observation and information exchange visit to Bavaria this year, specifically on the application of “best practices” in the design and development of PNP training programs.

The Indonesian delegation was headed by Inspector General Dr. Iza Fadri, SIK. MH who heads the Head of College of Police Science, in Jakarta and the Thai delegation by Police Lieutenant General Sopon Pisuttiwong of the Royal Thai Police. Other members of the Indonesian and Thai delegations include Indonesian Police Commissioner Arri Vaviriyanto, Police Colonel Thatchai Pitaneelaboot from the Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy and Police Lieutenant Colonel Jirapong Rujiradumrongchai of the Royal Thai Police.

While in-country, the delegation was accompanied by their respective countries’ police and military attachés Indonesian Police Superintendent Utomo Cahyono and Thai Group Captain Surasak Injumnong. HSF resident representatives for Indonesia and Thailand, Dr. Ulrich Klingshirn and Mr. Karl-Peter Schönfisch respectively, also joined their respective country delegations for the duration of the visit.