Let TNI do the job, but with restrictions<\/p>\n
Imanuddin Razak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A request for the Indonesian Military (TNI) to take part in
\neffectively preventing and acting against terrorism in the wake
\nof the second Bali bomb blast was recently delivered by President
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono. And TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
\nhas responded by suggesting that the Military would restore the
\ndormant territorial command to deal with the matter.<\/p>\n
Quoting a popular proverb, Sekali pedang dihunus, pantang
\nuntuk mundur (Once the sword is unsheathed, it is taboo for a
\nknight to retreat), it is now rather difficult for the President
\nto withdraw his statement.<\/p>\n
And the only remaining position that the President can take is
\nto make sure that the mandate he has given to the TNI will not be
\nabused by this institution.<\/p>\n
Susilo's public request on Oct. 5, 2005 for the TNI to get
\ninvolved in the government's campaign against terror showed on
\none hand his determination to immediately respond to such a
\nterrorist attack.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, however, it also showed the President's
\ndesperation in bringing to an end the series of bombing attacks
\nthat have been hitting the country since the late 1990s. It also
\ndemonstrates the powerlessness of the Indonesian intelligence
\ncommunity and Police, which are legally responsible for domestic
\nsecurity affairs, who collectively are still unable to bring the
\ntwo top bombing fugitives -- Dr. Azahari Husin and Noordin M. Top
\n-- to justice.<\/p>\n
The President's official statement while addressing the TNI's
\n60th anniversary was responded to by Endriartono immediately
\nafter the ceremony. Endriartono surprisingly stated that the TNI
\nwould reactivate its territorial command -- from the provincial-
\nlevel Regional Military Command (Kodam) to the village-level
\nunit, known with the term Babinsa -- in order to meet the
\nPresident's request.<\/p>\n
The territorial command used to be equipped with intelligence
\narms, with Babinsa being at the forefront of the system.<\/p>\n
The military chief's statement has drawn strong opposition
\nfrom various elements in the community, who expressed their fear
\nof the return to human rights and political abuses by the
\nmilitary should the command be reinstated. Many, including
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid,
\nsuggested that the State should empower the existing intelligence
\ncommunity and the police to tackle such terrorist attacks, rather
\nthan reestablishing the command.<\/p>\n
Questioning the government's policies, especially on strategic
\nissues involving the lives of the country's over 220 million
\npopulation, is a must and guaranteed by al democratic societies.
\nThe question should then be why or what has made the President
\nturn to the TNI to help the government in its campaign against
\nterror attacks in the country?<\/p>\n
Constitutionally speaking, the authority and responsibility to
\ndeal with domestic security affairs lays with the police. Such
\nauthority is guaranteed by Article 30 of the Constitution and Law
\nNo. 2\/2002 on National Police.<\/p>\n
It's been three years since the first blasts rocked Bali. But
\nthe police still find it difficult to locate the whereabouts of
\nAzahari and Noordin, who are believed to be the masterminds
\nbehind the series of bomb attacks in the country over the past
\nfew years, and have only managed to capture the bombers and their
\naccomplices.<\/p>\n
The police's incapacity was admitted by police internal think
\ntank member, Bambang Widodo, who said in a seminar on security
\nsector reforms last August that it was impossible for the police
\nto deal with the terror attacks alone.<\/p>\n
The police force indeed has adopted a good structural system
\nto prevent such terror attacks. However, the system -- known as
\nkoban in Japanese -- which puts police officers on the ground in
\nneighborhoods -- is still on trial at the Bekasi Police, West
\nJava. It cannot be expected to perform at such a short notice
\nwhile the need for immediate handling of terror attacks is
\npalpable. It will take the police at least five years to train
\nits officers and establish koban offices nationwide.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it is not possible to expect much from the
\ncountry's intelligence community either as they lack the
\nconstitutional basis to move and deter any potential terror
\nattacks. While the intelligence bill is being drafted, expecting
\nthe National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to do its utmost to combat
\nterrorism, despite the coordinating role it has among the
\ncountry's intelligence circles, is also an impossibility.<\/p>\n
Now, it is up to the Indonesian people to decide whether to
\ncontinue with all the controversies and let the terrorist attacks
\ncontinue, or allow the TNI help with the task, but with clear job
\nspecifications, i.e. to curb and deal with the terrorist attacks
\nonly.<\/p>\n
After all, it is the President's prerogative to order the TNI
\nto actively become involved in the matter. Therefore, there
\nshould be a presidential decree that clearly gives a mandate to
\nthe TNI to perform only the designated duty.<\/p>\n
And should one day the mandate be abused by the TNI, the whole
\nnation, most of whom voted for Susilo in last year's election,
\ncan demand accountability from the President as the one who gave
\nthis mandate to the TNI.<\/p>",
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