Stay in the barracks<\/p>\n
Days after terrorists attacked Bali for the second time in
\nthree years, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attended a
\nceremony on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI). So it was understandable that
\nterrorism figured prominently in the President's speech, in which
\nhe asked the TNI to play an active role in the fight against
\nterrorists.<\/p>\n
Pointing to Law No. 34\/2004 on the military, in particular
\nArticle 2, the President said: \"I ask the TNI to take part in
\neffectively curbing, preventing and acting against terrorism.\"<\/p>\n
A retired Army general, the President knows the TNI could be
\none of the most effective institutions in combating terrorism,
\nnot only because of its technical capacity and know-how, but also
\nbecause the active involvement of the TNI would reduce the
\n\"resistance\" of some military personnel to his government's
\ninitiatives.<\/p>\n
The President apparently also wants to use the Bali bombings
\nas the cover for testing the public's reaction to the revival of
\nthe TNI's role in domestic security and public order. Susilo
\nwants to test the theory that more and more Indonesians are tired
\nof waiting for the police to do something about domestic
\nsecurity, which during Soeharto's New Order regime was the sole
\ndomain of the military.<\/p>\n
During the Soeharto era, the TNI, in particular the Army,
\ncontrolled all aspects of life, from the very top of society all
\nthe way down to the neighborhood units. With the draconian laws
\nthat were in place during the New Order, it was simple to jail
\npeople with very little evidence. True, domestic security was
\ngenerally better under Soeharto, but then again there was the
\nproblem of state terrorism.<\/p>\n
Though both the National Police and the National Intelligence
\nAgency (BIN) have been empowered, President Susilo knows the TNI
\nis reluctant to cooperate with these two bodies, including
\nsharing its intelligence findings, because it cannot see any real
\nbenefit to such cooperation.<\/p>\n
If the public reacts positively to a renewed domestic role for
\nthe TNI, Susilo could openly make use of the military in
\nrestoring security to the country, including wiping out the
\nbreeding grounds for terrorists.<\/p>\n
And if there is public resistance, Susilo will have lost
\nnothing, and can tell the TNI that it was the public not him who
\nopposed a political comeback for the military.<\/p>\n
Going by media reports, there is indeed a great deal of public
\nresistance to the idea of the military renewing its political
\nrole, although many people acknowledge the TNI could play an
\nimportant role in the war against terror. But, after the abuses
\nof power and rights violations during the Soeharto era, people
\nremain wary of giving the military too much power.<\/p>\n
If the TNI does reassume its dominant role in domestic
\nsecurity and politics, the country could expect its flowering
\ndemocracy to dry up as we witness a return of militarism.<\/p>\n
No one can deny the TNI could play a decisive role in
\neradicating terrorism and other domestic security threats. But if
\nthe TNI was given draconian powers to restore security, that
\nwould only create new problems no less worrying than the security
\ndisturbances.<\/p>\n
It is a common practice that every time the President makes a
\nspeech, the contents of the speech are first run by the relevant
\nministries and institutions. In this context, the President's
\nspeechwriters naturally could have been expected to consult with
\nTNI Headquarters on Wednesday's address. This means the military
\nwas fully informed of the President's plan to revive its domestic
\nsecurity role.<\/p>\n
After losing much of its power and privilege after the fall of
\nSoeharto in May 1998, it is only natural that TNI chief Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto enthusiastically responded to the President's
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the general
\nannounced plans to revive the once powerful -- but also much
\ncriticized -- military territorial function, which was led by
\nSusilo himself when he was an active three-star general.<\/p>\n
Endriartono is fully aware of the generally negative public
\nview of the military. Earlier this week, he complained the
\nmilitary intelligence network was not able to function
\neffectively because of its poor public standing. The public
\nuproar that greeted his proposal to reestablish the military's
\nterritorial function only confirmed his fear that most
\nIndonesians do not want to see the TNI regain its old powers.<\/p>\n
We must use every available means to eradicate terrorism, but
\nat the same time we have to stick to our democratic principles.
\nTrue, the internal security acts in Singapore and Malaysia are
\neffective in the short term, but at what cost to civil society?<\/p>\n
The TNI can play a key role in the war against terror without
\nreturning to it the powers it enjoyed under Soeharto. But will
\nthe TNI accept this?<\/p>",
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