Legislators insist on deliberating military bill<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the growing opposition toward the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) bill, major factions in the House of Representatives are
\ninsisting on deliberating the government-sponsored draft.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
\nP) faction at the House Tjahjo Kumolo said the bill was designed
\nto provide the TNI with clear guidelines in its duty to defend
\nnational unity.<\/p>\n
\"There is no intention whatsoever to revive the political role
\nof the military,\" Tjahjo said after receiving representatives of
\nnon-governmental organizations who urged the faction to support
\ntheir demand for a delay in the bill deliberation schedule.<\/p>\n
The NGO representatives and experts will meet with other
\nfactions at the House in a last-ditch effort to prevent the
\ndeliberation from proceeding. They held talks on Thursday with
\nHouse Commission I on security and defense that has been
\nappointed to debate the bill.<\/p>\n
Munir, from human rights group Imparsial, asked the
\nlegislators to allocate more time to gain inputs from the public.<\/p>\n
The House commission has allocated three days from Aug. 2
\nthrough Aug. 4 to hear opinions from military experts and retired
\nmilitary officers on the bill. The deliberation itself is slated
\nto start on Aug. 24, and is expected to finish before the current
\nHouse ends its term at the end of September.<\/p>\n
The new House legislators who were elected in the April 5
\npolls will be installed on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
\"The legislators can start the deliberation, but they must not
\nrush to endorse the bill. We will appreciate the legislators if
\nthey allow the new legislators to continue the deliberation,\"
\nMunir said.<\/p>\n
Under Soeharto's New Order government, the military, then
\nknown as the Armed Forces (ABRI), executed both security and
\npolitical duties at the expense of democracy. The military's
\nterritorial control was evident with the appointment of Army
\nofficers as governors, regents and mayors.<\/p>\n
Tjahjo promised the PDI-P faction would not hastily endorse
\nthe bill.<\/p>\n
\"We will look thoroughly into the content of the bill. It's
\nmore important to proceed with the deliberation while giving the
\npublic access to the debate,\" Tjahjo said.<\/p>\n
Commission I member Chatibul Umam Wiranu of the National
\nAwakening Party also suggested that deliberation should not be
\nrushed, so as to avoid producing flawed legislation.<\/p>\n
Opposition to the bill also came from former military chief of
\nsocial and political affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Hasnan Habib, who
\ncalled on lawmakers to drop the draft, which he said could revive
\nthe military's role in politics.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar on Thursday Hasnan criticized the bill
\nfor contradicting the Constitution and the law on state defense.<\/p>\n
According to the Constitution, the military is responsible for
\ndefense while the police are responsible for security. The bill,
\nhowever, allows the military to meddle in security affairs.<\/p>\n
Military analyst Mochtar Pabottingi of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI) also gave a thumbs-down to the draft
\nfor adopting the old paradigm of unity between the military and
\nthe people, which he said would hamper professionalism in the
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
\"The military is a state apparatus that plays a key role in
\nguarding the state. The concept of unity between the military and
\nthe people will only provide excuses for the military to
\ninterfere in civil affairs, including politics,\" Mochtar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-insist-on-deliberating-military-bill-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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