TNI 'needs support, not denunciation'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Achmad Sutjipto called
\non Wednesday for an end to public denunciation of the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI), saying it would uphold its defense mission.<\/p>\n
Sutjipto said now that separatist movements in certain
\nprovinces had posed a serious threat to the country's
\nsovereignty, TNI should be given more support in order to
\nmaintain national unity.<\/p>\n
\"TNI has been widely criticized and it looks like there is no
\nroom to make right the wrong. Under such conditions, TNI and the
\nNational Police will be unable to carry out their defense
\nfunctions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"With separatist movements being rife, situations will be more
\ndangerous if we are constantly blamed for past mistakes.\"<\/p>\n
Sutjipto was speaking after swearing in Brig. Gen. Hari Triono
\nas new chief of the Marine Corps in place of Maj. Gen. Suharto at
\nMarine Corps Headquarters in Cilandak, South Jakarta. Suharto has
\nbeen appointed the inspector general at the defense ministry.<\/p>\n
The Navy chief conceded that TNI blundered when it deeply
\ninvolved itself in politics under its dual function principle.<\/p>\n
\"But we have reformed ourselves and returned to our original
\nmission as a defense force,\" Sutjipto said.<\/p>\n
He said he believed TNI would be able to contain the
\ndisintegration threat if it won support from all the Indonesian
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\"Russia is a good example in this case. Its military succeeded
\nin crushing separatist rebel movements in Chechnya because of the
\npeople's full support,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He cited a statement by Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono
\nthat federalism did not fit an archipelagic country like
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Federalism is not suitable here because Indonesia consists of
\nthousands of small and large islands. If it is adopted, Indonesia
\nwill be torn apart,\" Sutjipto said.<\/p>\n
He also said the Marine Corps was now recruiting about 10,000
\nnew personnel to enable it to cover the entire country, spanning
\nfrom Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"The new personnel will posted to three naval bases in Teluk
\nRatai in Lampung, Jakarta and Surabaya,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Teluk Ratai base oversees the waters in Indonesia's
\nwestern area, the Jakarta base oversees the central part and the
\nSurabaya base oversees the eastern part. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tni-needs-support-not-denunciation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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