The TNI at 56<\/p>\n
Today 56 years ago, president Sukarno issued a decree to set
\nup an official armed organization as an integer component of the
\nthen-infant Republic of Indonesia. This organization, through
\nvarious stages, later developed into what is now known as the
\nTentara National Indonesia (TNI) -- the national armed forces of
\nIndonesia. At the time the decree was issued, various armed
\norganizations already existed in the Indonesian community in
\nSumatra, Java, Bali and South Sulawesi, responding to the
\nProclamation of Independence on Aug. 17, 1945. To forge these
\nvarious organizations -- formed sometimes on the basis of
\nideological underpinnings or as extensions of existing political
\nparties -- into a cohesive national army was not an easy process.
\nIt occasionally gave rise to political crises.<\/p>\n
Throughout its history, the TNI experienced various stages of
\nreadjustment and reorganization in order to find its rightful
\nposition in a changing society that is also searching for its
\nright political format. If today the TNI, in commemorating its
\n56th anniversary, is displaying such an impressive show it can
\nlook back on the fact that since Oct. 5 last year it has
\nresponded to a historical challenge in the correct manner. The
\nTNI, particularly the Army, resisted president Abdurrahman
\nWahid's undemocratic intention to issue an emergency decree in
\norder to preserve his power. However, lest the TNI should indulge
\nin too much self-praise, the fact must also be admitted that in
\nthe past it committed a number of offenses that included some
\nserious violations of human rights and of the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
As former minister of defense Juwono Sudarsono pointed out
\nrecently, the fundamental problem the TNI is facing is that only
\n30 percent of total military expenditure is covered by the state
\nbudget. The rest is derived from off-state budget activities,
\nparticularly through the myriad foundations related to the three
\nservices and the various units within those services. Obviously,
\nthis is not a healthy situation. If, as Prof. Sudarsono
\nsuggested, a 10-year plan were to be prepared in order to
\ngradually increase the state budget allocation for the TNI while
\nsimultaneously decreasing the off-budget funding, that would be
\nto assume, as he admitted, a constant robust growth of gross
\nnational product (GNP) -- a proposition that cannot be
\nguaranteed.<\/p>\n
Another crucial challenge faced by the TNI is to formulate its
\nrole and mission in a democratic Indonesia. Various internal
\ndiscussions apparently have been held within the TNI, and Lt.
\nGen. Agus Wijaya, the TNI chief of staff for territorial affairs,
\nhas presented this reform program to the public on various
\noccasions. However, as was recently suggested in a seminar on
\nsecurity cooperation between Indonesia and Britain in Jakarta,
\nperhaps a nationwide consultation could be organized in seeking
\nideas and proposals on how to transform the TNI into an integer
\npart of a democratic Republic of Indonesia. It was pointed out
\nthat Britain had gone through the same process when its armed
\nforces were being reorganized. It was a process of mutual benefit
\nsince the public too was educated on the characteristics and
\npolitical needs of its military organization.<\/p>\n
In short, the TNI, as it celebrates its 56th anniversary on
\nFriday, should be aware that it cannot rest on its laurels but
\nhas to tackle the challenges it faces as indicated above in an
\nurgent manner. Failure to do this and to satisfy the expectations
\nof the public -- that its national military organization should
\nbe a disciplined force upholding democratic principles -- would
\nunavoidably cause crises that would affect the sociopolitical
\nstability of this sprawling archipelagic state.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-tni-at-56-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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