A fish out of water<\/p>\n
The brave men and women of the Indonesian Military (TNI) on
\nTuesday commemorated the 59th anniversary of the armed forces.
\nFew elements in this nation-state are so closely associated with
\nthe opus of independence as the armed forces. It was through the
\ncombined effort of a fledgling, yet resolute, armed force,
\nemphatic diplomacy and the people's painful sacrifice, that
\nindependence was brought forth to the world's largest
\narchipelago.<\/p>\n
Through its history, the TNI has evolved according to the
\ntimes and challenges before them. Sometimes it is a natural
\nrealignment, other times they were coerced into change. For much
\nof the last four decades the TNI has largely been a tool of
\ncoercion to perpetuate autocratic regimes. While there were
\nmemorable highlights -- such as the participation in United
\nNations peacekeeping missions and the 1981 Woyla hijacking rescue
\n-- this period, for the most part, must be remembered as a dark
\ntime in the military's long history. A legacy of arbitrary
\nkillings, tortures, abductions and dubious profit-taking ventures
\nto build plush retirement funds for top officers.<\/p>\n
From a ragtag force that brought hope to an oppressed people,
\nthe TNI eventually became a resented force; the oppressors
\nthemselves. The result has been a sense of false entitlement for
\nanyone wearing a military uniform -- to many here the epitome of
\nabsolute power. Many of these once revered figures have let their
\ndiscipline run astray.<\/p>\n
We often hear their excuses of how the military was \"cajoled\"
\ninto serving the Soeharto regime, or about their eternal mission
\nto ensure the survival of the state with all its iconic symbols,
\nor how it is the chaos of a civilian run administration that has
\npropelled the military to remain politically engaged.<\/p>\n
These arguments may or may not have merit, and for now we
\nshall leave it to military historians to discuss. What is clear
\nis that we are now in a time of change.<\/p>\n
The nation now enters a new era of democracy with the first
\never directly elected president. Likewise, the military should
\nutilize this opportunity by asserting the most fundamental of
\ntenets of any democratic system: That the military is an
\ninstrument of the people.<\/p>\n
One of the greatest lessons the military will have to endure
\nin the coming years -- provided they have the political will to
\ndo so -- is a disposition to become subservient to a
\ndemocratically elected civilian administration.<\/p>\n
The parameters are set -- the military is no longer allotted
\nseats in the legislature; the police are now independent of the
\nmilitary infrastructure; the newly passed TNI bill also bars
\nactive military personnel from engaging in business and joining
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
But here in, like the debate of the TNI bill, lies the crux of
\nthe matter. Is there sufficient political will from the TNI to
\nchange their mindset?<\/p>\n
Many articles and issues were debated in the deliberation of
\nthe bill, chief among them was the military's territorial role.
\nIt became glaringly evident during these debates -- both inside
\nand outside the House of Representatives -- that there exists an
\ninherent distrust of the military institution. The essence of the
\ndebate on whether the military should have such regional commands
\nreally centered on the inherent fear over the TNI's
\npredisposition to abuse political power through these commands.<\/p>\n
Laws can be amended and new ones introduced, but it will not
\nhelp to improve the TNI's image. It doesn't matter how good a
\nwritten law is if the subject being regulated does not generate
\ntrust.<\/p>\n
This is what the TNI faces as it enters its seventh decade.
\nFortunately, the advent of political reform has provided a
\ncontext for which the TNI can re-establish its image as
\napolitical guardians of the people.<\/p>\n
The late Gen. A.H. Nasution once described the relationship of
\nthe military to the people as a fish is to water. If it does not
\nchange its mindset, our beloved TNI will continue to be a fish
\nout of water.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-fish-out-of-water-1447893297",
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