Endriartono's nomination for TNI top post draws mixed reactions<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's nomination of current Army
\nChief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto as new commander of the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) drew on Tuesday mixed reactions from
\npolitical and military analysts and activists.<\/p>\n
Staunch human rights campaigner Hendardi said the decision to
\nnominate Endriartono as the sole candidate had strengthened
\nspeculation on the return of conservatism into the President's
\npolicy on the powerful military.<\/p>\n
"His nomination by the President as the sole candidate is in
\neffect a fait accompli and is intended to preclude public
\ndiscussion or assessment of other prospective candidates," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The move also strongly indicates that Megawati has striven to
\nemphasize her retention of power rather than reforming the TNI,
\nsaid Hendardi, director of the Legal Aid and Human Rights
\nAssociation (PBHI).<\/p>\n
He said that conservatism within the TNI had surfaced after
\nEndriartono appointed former Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen.
\nSjafrie Sjamsoeddin, widely accused of involvement in several
\nhuman rights abuses, as the new Army spokesman.<\/p>\n
Leading the powerful Army, Endriartono failed to show
\n"impressive achievement", and even allowed several human rights
\nviolations to take place unchecked, Hendardi added.<\/p>\n
The worst, he cited, was the murder of Papuan separatist
\nleader Theys Hiyo Eluay last November, which was blamed on
\nmembers of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus).<\/p>\n
Under a system introduced by former president Abdurrahman "Gus
\nDur" Wahid of rotating the post among the three services, the
\nnext TNI commander should have come from the Air Force.<\/p>\n
Hendardi said Megawati's repudiation of the rotation agreement
\nhas clearly indicated her reliance on the Army to bolster her
\npolitical control.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, military analyst M.T. Arifin said the current four-
\nstar Army chief was the best of the available candidates to head
\nthe military.<\/p>\n
"Endriartono is known to be a modest man with good capability
\nand close ties to the lower ranks," he was quoted by AFP as
\nsaying<\/p>\n
J. Kristiadi of the Center for Strategic and International
\nStudies also said Endriartono was a better choice than the other
\ncandidate proposed by the military promotions council, former
\nArmy chief Gen. Tyasno Sudarno.<\/p>\n
"Personally, I see Endriartono as a professional soldier with
\nhigh acceptability among the ranks of the TNI," he told AFP.<\/p>\n
But Kristiadi's colleague at the CSIS Kusnanto Anggoro said
\nEndriartono could "turn authoritarian" if he were not
\ncounterbalanced by a strong Army chief.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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