House, govt struggle to define TNI's duty<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House committee deliberating the military bill and the
\ngovernment struggled in vain on Wednesday to define the nature
\nand duty of the Indonesian Military (TNI) as a group of women
\nstaged a protest against the draft.<\/p>\n
The government-sponsored bill defines the TNI by spelling out
\nthe acronym as Tentara National Indonesia, while House factions
\nwant to add substance to the definition.<\/p>\n
Legislator Effendi Choirie of the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) criticized the bill for not clearly defining the TNI. He
\nsaid clear definitions were important in the deliberation of any
\nbill.<\/p>\n
Effendi suggested the TNI be defined as an armed force that
\nserved as the main component of state defense.<\/p>\n
While most House factions support the PKB's position, the
\ngovernment -- represented by acting coordinating minister for
\npolitical and security affairs Hari Sabarno -- rejected the
\nproposal, arguing that the use of the words \"armed force\" would
\nworry the public.<\/p>\n
Effendi, however, countered the objection by emphasizing that
\nit was the behavior of the armed force as an institution that
\nworried the public, not the use of the words \"armed force.\"<\/p>\n
During the leadership of former president Soeharto, the TNI --
\nwhich was then called the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) --
\ndominated the country's political life, thanks to its dual-
\nfunction role.<\/p>\n
Because of its poor human rights record, the military decided
\nto change its name following the fall of Soeharto in May 1998.<\/p>\n
The House and the government also struggled to define military
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Nadier Muhammad of the United Development Party (PPP)
\nsuggested the word \"dedication\" in the bill be replaced with
\n\"assignment.\"<\/p>\n
\"The word assignment would underline duty. Therefore, TNI
\nsoldiers would carry out their duties responsibly,\" Nadier said.<\/p>\n
However, Sabarno rejected the notion, saying that soldiers
\nwere taught to dedicate their lives to the nation.<\/p>\n
\"They are not taught to earn money. Military service is a
\nperiod of dedication for soldiers,\" Hari stressed.<\/p>\n
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who came late to the
\nhearing, said the TNI had been trying to improve its
\nprofessionalism. \"However, the professionalism of the TNI is
\ndifferent from the professionalism of a boxer or tennis player,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the TNI's professionalism was dependent upon
\nthe synergy of its capability and its duties.<\/p>\n
As the government and House factions failed to reach
\nagreements on the nature of the TNI and military service, the
\nHouse decided to adjourn the hearing.<\/p>\n
During the deliberation on Tuesday, the PKB faction proposed
\nthe inclusion of four principles -- professionalism, civil
\nsupremacy, humanitarianism and transparency -- in considerations
\nof the bill.<\/p>\n
Endriartono and some factions, however, rejected the proposal,
\nsaying that it was uncommon to include operative clauses in
\nconsiderations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a group of women staged a peaceful demonstration at
\nthe House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday to protest the
\ndeliberation of the bill.<\/p>\n
Arguing that the current draft would only sustain the
\nmilitary's political role, the women, most of whom were
\naccompanied by their children, demanded that the deliberation be
\nsuspended pending more public input.<\/p>\n
\"Lawmakers must suspend the deliberation. We, the public, want
\nto be involved in the drafting of the bill,\" said activist Yeni
\nRosa Damayanti during the protest.<\/p>\n
They also distributed a statement demanding that active
\nmilitary personnel be barred from occupying civilian posts --
\nexcept for some posts in the defense ministry -- and that the TNI
\nbe placed under the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>",
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