'Ratih' shows ABRI's poor coordination<\/p>\n
Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto's plan to establish Rakyat
\nTerlatih (trained militia) to safeguard next year's general
\nelection, has caused an uproar. Military observer Lt. Gen. (ret.)
\nHasnan Habib discusses problems facing its establishment.<\/p>\n
Question: Can Rakyat Terlatih or Ratih for short be
\nestablished without being supported by a new law?<\/p>\n
Hasnan: No. Military leaders have said Ratih will be based on
\nLaw No. 20\/1982 but the implementation of the law, which contains
\nthe basic principles of the country's defense and security, must
\nbe supported by other laws.<\/p>\n
The 1982 law suggests the establishment of a people's defense
\nand security system (Hankamrata). The system will involve the
\noperation of various component forces, including Ratih, as a
\nbasic component, and the Armed Forces (ABRI) as their core
\ncomponent. About 12 to 13 additional laws will be needed for the
\nformation of the components but thus far only one law has been
\nenacted -- Law No. 1\/1988 on ABRI.<\/p>\n
The others have not been introduced because the government has
\nnever trusted the people. The government, for example, has
\naccused the people of going extreme left or extreme right.
\nHankamrata will never be implemented without the government's
\ntrust in the people.<\/p>\n
Because the operation of Ratih will affect the rights and
\nobligations of citizens, we need systematic arrangement of
\nrecruitment and to guarantee the career development of its
\nmembers, Its establishment will need a comprehensive strategic
\nplan and a law. Otherwise, it would become an ad hoc institution
\nwhich would not be systematically linked with other defense and
\nsecurity bodies.<\/p>\n
Q: Law No. 20\/1982 requires that expenses for defense and
\nsecurity operations must be included in the State Budget Plan
\n(RAPBN). Does it mean that the plan on Ratih establishment should
\nbe approved by the House of Representatives?<\/p>\n
H: Certainly. I heard that a proposal on spending for Ratih's
\nestablishment and operation have been included in the RAPBN for
\n1999\/2000 but the amount was very, very small.<\/p>\n
Q: Why do many parties oppose the plan for Ratih's establishment?<\/p>\n
H: Because society in general no longer trust the government and
\nABRI on the grounds that Wiranto has never fulfilled a long list
\nof promises. These include promises to court martial those
\ninvolved in the abduction of political activists this year, the
\nshooting to death of Trisakti University students in Jakarta in
\nMay, the shooting of demonstrators around the Semanggi overpass
\nin Jakarta in November and the recent killing spree in East Java.<\/p>\n
The honorable dismissal, without legal procedure, of Lt. Gen.
\nPrabowo has also raised questions because he himself has admitted
\nhaving directed the abduction of the political activists.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, military leaders' inconsistent statements about
\nthe Ratih plan have caused the people to distrust the government
\nand ABRI.<\/p>\n
We can also understand the people's suspicion over the
\npossible abuse of the civilian militia recruitment due to the
\ngovernment's lack of legitimacy and Habibie's inconsistent
\nstatements about his readiness for reelection.<\/p>\n
Q: Why can military leaders be so inconsistent with one another?<\/p>\n
H: This indicates that military leaders are poorly coordinated
\nand they have not read the law before making public statements.<\/p>\n
This is dangerous because they are not aware even of the
\nregulations related to their own competence, security and
\ndefense. How can we expect the upholding of law enforcement in
\nsuch a condition? Indonesia might become an ad hoc country then.<\/p>\n
Q: How can the authorities recruit personnel to safeguard the
\ngeneral election?<\/p>\n
H: ABRI is likely to go ahead with its plan to recruit new
\npersonnel to offset the shortage in police personnel. The ratio
\nbetween policemen and population currently stands at 1:1,200, as
\ncompared to the ideal ratio of one for 200. But the government
\nwill no longer use the term Ratih. National Police Chief Lt. Gen.
\nRoesmanhadi, for example, recently used the term Banpol (Bantuan
\nPolisi -- police back-up).<\/p>\n
I think ABRI would be better off recruiting new police
\nofficers. This will not cause any controversy because it will
\nhave clear legal support.<\/p>\n
Q: Is it possible for the government to use Banpol personnel to
\nintimidate people to vote for a certain party that will support
\nthe reelection of President Habibie?<\/p>\n
H: It is true that Banpol and military personnel were used in the
\npast elections to generate more votes for Golkar. That was
\npossible in the past because the administration, supervision and
\nsecurity of the elections were government institutions. Such a
\npossibility will be slight for the coming general election
\nbecause political parties will be involved in its administration
\nand supervision, while foreign observers, including those from
\nthe United Nations, will be allowed to monitor. (riz)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ratih-shows-abris-poor-coordination-1447893297",
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