TNI backs down due to criticism over controversial bill<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) showed signs of backing down from
\ntheir demands on Wednesday when Minister of Defense Matori Abdul
\nDjalil promised to revise the controversial military bill.<\/p>\n
Briefing the press before a limited cabinet meeting involving
\nministers for political and security affairs, Matori said the
\nmilitary bill should not contradict Defense Law No. 3\/2002 and
\nthe spirit of reform.<\/p>\n
\"The military draft bill is supposed to be integrated with the
\nState Defense Law, which should serve as a general guideline for
\nTNI. Of course, we accept the draft made by TNI headquarters as
\nan input...but it is not the final draft.<\/p>\n
\"I have set up a team in my ministry to synchronize several
\narticles in the draft, including Article 19, after determining
\nwhether or not they contradict the defense law and the spirit of
\nreform,\" Matori said.<\/p>\n
The meeting was chaired by Coordinating Minister for Political
\nand Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and attended by,
\namong others, home affairs minister Hari Sabarno and TNI chief
\nGen. Endriartono Sutarto.<\/p>\n
TNI has come under intense criticism in the past few weeks
\nfollowing the revelation of a military bill that would empower
\nthe military to declare a state of emergency and to deploy troops
\nto conflict-torn areas without prior approval from the president.<\/p>\n
The bill, if approved, conflicts with various legislations in
\nthe country, including the 1945 Constitution, the 1959 Emergency
\nLaw, and Law No. 3\/2002 on state defense, which clearly
\nstipulates that the president, as the Supreme Commander of the
\nIndonesian Military, has the authority and responsibility to
\ndeploy TNI personnel, after securing approval from the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Endriartono said Wednesday that he never had any
\nintention to launch a coup against a legitimate government if the
\ndraft was approved.<\/p>\n
He admitted that the controversial Article 19 of the draft
\nbill was inserted by TNI headquarters as an attempt \"to provide a
\nlegal basis for TNI commanders to take immediate action in the
\nevent that they should face various disturbances.<\/p>\n
\"I never thought about launching a coup against the government
\nwhen I allowed the insertion of the article. My thought was
\nsimple, that I didn't want my soldiers to face charges of
\nnegligence due to their failure in taking the steps necessary to
\ncurb various security disturbances.<\/p>\n
\"I'll no longer hold my position as TNI chief...I'm counting
\nmy days now...it could be within a month, two months or five
\nmonths, but I will soon be replaced by my junior and I don't want
\nthem facing charges of negligence,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
\"But it is just only a draft that we can change at anytime,\"
\nEndriartono added.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard
\nRyamcudu responded strongly against the civilian critics on the
\nbill draft.<\/p>\n
\"A military coup d'etat has never been heard of in the history
\nof the Indonesian Military, and it never crossed my mind... A law
\nis not needed for that, a coup d'etat could be incited by anyone
\nat anytime,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Only those with dirty minds could have come up with such a
\nthought,\" Ryamizard said after installing new Jakarta Military
\nCommander Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso.<\/p>",
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