Armed civilian militia plan comes under fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A resounding \"no\" was voiced on Friday by public
\nfigures and scholars responding to the Armed Forces (ABRI) plan
\nto establish an armed civilian militia.<\/p>\n
Former defense minister Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat, former
\nambassador to the United States Hasnan Habib, and the rector of
\nPurwokerto's Jenderal Soedirman University Rubiyanto Misman all
\nsaid the proposed move was unnecessary. Yogyakarta Governor Sri
\nSultan Hamengkubuwono X also rejected the idea and said that even
\nthe timing of the move was wrong.<\/p>\n
\"The planned establishment of an armed civilian militia is not
\nnecessary,\" Edi told reporters after addressing a seminar on the
\nthreat of national disintegration.<\/p>\n
He said that existing security personnel were capable of
\nmaintaining law and order.<\/p>\n
An armed militia would only create conflict among the people,
\nhe said, citing the bloody consequences of deploying vigilantes
\non the streets of Jakarta during last month's Special Session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Hasnan Habib said: \"Employing armed civilians would mean that
\nthe situation is really critical. Is our country really in such a
\nbad state that it's (considered) necessary to pit civilians
\nagainst civilians?\"<\/p>\n
The three-star retired general said that the government should
\nprovide the public with complete details of the plan.<\/p>\n
Rubiyanto said the government was \"overacting\", adding that
\nthe move would only lead to trouble.<\/p>\n
\"Rather than improving security, it is more likely to make
\nmany people feel more insecure,\" he said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Hamengkubuwono conceded there were legal grounds for the plan,
\nbut still disagreed with it.<\/p>\n
\"This nation is currently embroiled in a number of conflicts
\nand now is not the correct time to implement the plan,\" he told
\nreporters in Yogyakarta on Friday.<\/p>\n
Responding to the criticism, Governor of the National
\nResilience Institute (Lemhanas) Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar said
\nseparately that the plan was still in a state of infancy.<\/p>\n
\"It is still in a conceptual phase and the Armed Forces
\nheadquarters has not yet actually begun to recruit people,\" he
\ntold reporters at his office on Friday.<\/p>\n
The plan to establish a civilian militia was confirmed by
\nMinister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
\nWiranto in a meeting with the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
\nIslamic organization Abdurrahman Wahid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the establishment of a civilian militia was in
\naccordance with Law No. 20\/1982 on Security and Defense.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nFeisal Tanjung then hinted on Thursday the civilian militia might
\nbe armed.<\/p>\n
This was contradicted on Friday by Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi,
\nwho is the Assistant for Sociopolitical Affairs to the Armed
\nForces Chief of Territorial Affairs. He said: \"Who said they are
\ngoing to be armed?\"<\/p>\n
When told that it was Feisal, he retorted, \"Well, you ask him
\nthen.\"<\/p>\n
Silalahi also dismissed the suggestion that establishing a
\nmilitia would provoke clashes and deepen the conflicts gripping
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
\"Physical clashes will only result if the laws and regulations
\nare violated,\" he said as quoted by Antara in Surabaya on Friday.<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta Military commander Lt. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono
\nsupported the plan. He said that other countries had civilian
\nmilitias, pointing to the National Guard in the United States as
\nan example.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono, who is now minister of transmigration, said the
\nmilitia could be armed and given their own uniforms and ranks,
\nbut would still fall under the supervision of the Armed Forces
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
He also said that the militia would have been established
\nbefore the current social and political problems emerged had
\nthere been enough money in the budget.<\/p>\n
\"Security is important, and security can only be guaranteed if
\npeople protect their own property and uphold democracy,\" he told
\nreporters after a meeting of several former Jakarta military
\ncommanders at Lemhanas here on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The civilian militia would be a multi-purpose organization
\nbecause it could be used to handle anarchic situations and
\nunrest,\" he said, adding that companies of the militia would be
\nstationed throughout the country, including at transmigration
\nsettlements.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, deputy chairman of the Crescent and Star Party
\n(PBB) Hartono Mardjono said he wholeheartedly supported the
\nestablishment of a civilian militia.<\/p>\n
\"It's the people who play both security and sociopolitical
\nroles... and they need to be trained to defend their country in
\nabnormal situations.\" (imn\/23\/45)<\/p>",
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