SBY slammed over slow military reform<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was criticized on Friday for
\nshowing lack of commitment in pushing through the military reform
\nprogram during his first year in office.<\/p>\n
Al Araf, a researcher at human rights and democracy watchdog
\nImparsial, said the President seemed to have no control over the
\nmilitary's maneuvers in the field of politics, business sector
\nand domestic security.<\/p>\n
In politics, Imparsial noted the participation of several
\nactive military officers in this year's direct regional
\nelections.<\/p>\n
\"The policy of Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief (Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto) to allow servicemen to join the political
\nrace at local level is, indeed, against Article 39 of Law No.
\n34\/2004 on military reform, as the article strictly bans the
\nmilitary from involvement in practical politics,\" Al Araf said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
\"The President, however, failed to warn the military from
\nreentering the political arena,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In May of this year, the TNI headquarters suspended six active
\nmilitary officers to allow them to contest the direct regional
\nelections in June for regents, mayors and provincial governors.
\nThe suspensions apparently took advantage of loopholes in Law No.
\n32\/2004 on regional government that does not specifically ban
\nactive military or police officers from being nominated for
\nregional government posts.<\/p>\n
Another Imparsial researcher, Otto K. Pratama, noted that the
\ngovernment was dragging its feet in removing the military from
\nthe business sector as mandated by the law.<\/p>\n
He said that Susilo had failed to create a corridor for the
\nmilitary to accede to the reform demands.<\/p>\n
\"Law No. 34\/2004 on the military has mandated the government
\nto take over business entities run by the military in order to
\ncreate professional soldiers. With the process under way for
\nalmost a year, we only see officials assigned to evaluate the
\nbusiness entities. They are only talking about whether or not the
\ncompanies are profitable and should be taken over by the
\ngovernment,\" Otto said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the ongoing verification held by four
\nrelated ministries -- the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of
\nFinance, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Office of
\nthe State Minister of State Enterprises -- during which officials
\nhave said the government would likely take over only 10 to 12
\ncompanies belonging to the military.<\/p>\n
This means the military would likely retain many other
\nbusiness units held under its 219 military cooperatives and
\nfoundations.<\/p>\n
As a comparison, Otto noted the Chinese government under Deng
\nXiao Ping had been able to accelerate the state takeover of all
\nthe Chinese military's business units within only six months.<\/p>\n
Al Araf said the President's order to the TNI to be involved
\nin handling terror threats nationwide through a military
\noperation had violated the Constitution because \"any application
\nof the military operation should be discussed with the lawmakers
\nin the first instance.\"<\/p>\n
He referred to the request for the military to become more
\ninvolved in countering terror threats in the nation made by
\nSusilo in his speech during the commemoration of the TNI's 60th
\nanniversary. In response, Endriartono pledged to reactivate the
\nTNI's much-criticized territorial function.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sby-slammed-over-slow-military-reform-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}