Rumors can be serious<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military's leadership seems to have taken
\nenormous offense at the rumors circulating here and abroad about
\nthe possibility of the military staging a coup to unseat
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Dismissing the rumors as unfounded, Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nCommander Adm. Widodo A.S. told journalists here on Monday that
\nhistory tells us that the Indonesian Military never stages coups.
\nWidodo was visibly upset when he said the rumors were aimed at
\ndiscrediting the military.<\/p>\n
Although the admiral did not attach any names to the rumors,
\nhe was clearly reacting to a recent statement by United States
\nAmbassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke in which he
\nwarned TNI against attempting to seize power from the President.<\/p>\n
It is apparent that the military commander overreacted to the
\nseasoned diplomat's statement, although one should understand
\nthat he was only speaking as a dedicated military man. When his
\nreaction is compared to that of Gus Dur, as the President is also
\nknown as, his statement clearly lacks understanding.<\/p>\n
When the head of state played down Holbrooke's warning against
\na military putsch, saying the American ambassador was merely
\nexpressing his concern as a friend, Abdurrahman also expressed
\ngratitude for the support of several foreign countries, including
\nthe United States and Japan, which had conveyed their concerns
\nover the possibility of a coup in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Many reacted in the same cool fashion as the President did
\nbecause they also believe that America's concern must have been
\nbased on recent statements by high-ranking Indonesia Military
\nofficers, who it appears are becoming increasingly impatient with
\nthe government. For example, TNI chief spokesman Maj. Gen.
\nSudrajat told Republika daily on Dec. 28 last year that
\nAbdurrahman was no military supreme commander and he had no right
\nwhatsoever to interfere in TNI's internal affairs.<\/p>\n
The statement shocked many people here because the 1945
\nConstitution clearly stipulates that the President of the
\nRepublic of Indonesia is the supreme commander of the Army, Navy
\nand Air Force. But according to Sudrajat the term supreme
\ncommander was borrowed from the United States, and in Indonesia's
\ncase it only applies to instances of national defense.<\/p>\n
Sudrajat also hinted in an interview with The Washington Post
\nlast month that the military might need to pressure the President
\ninto allowing an Army crackdown against the separatist movement
\nin Aceh which has taken up arms against the central government.<\/p>\n
The military wants the President to declare a state of
\nemergency in the restive province to give it a free hand to crack
\ndown on the separatist movement. But the President has repeatedly
\ntried to take the problem to the negotiating table to reach a
\npeaceful solution to the case.<\/p>\n
His policy is understandable to people who respect the virtue
\nof wisdom. Since the military played a part in the strife in Aceh
\nduring its 10 years of military operations there, during which
\nbrutal human rights violations were committed, any new military
\ninvolvement in the troubled region could only be catastrophic.
\nAgainst the backdrop of its seriously declining public
\npopularity, the military would be no solution to the Aceh crisis
\nbut rather a large part of the problem.<\/p>\n
Any significant increase in the military's role would just
\nlead to uncontrollable power which would be just too close to a
\nmilitary dictatorship and anathema to the nation's effort of
\nbuilding a civil society.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rumors-can-be-serious-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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