TNI should be given more authority to maintain security<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In an effort to prevent the country from
\ncrumbling, the Indonesian Military (TNI) should be given more
\nroom to help maintain security nationwide, Army Chief of Staff
\nGen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the press after hosting a closed-door meeting with
\n95 top Army officers at the Army headquarters, Endriartono
\nadmitted that the security authorities have agreed to delegate
\nthe security role to the National Police and the defense role to
\nthe TNI.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that every modern country adopts the principle of
\nseparated security and defense responsibilities in order to avoid
\nan overlapping while they (police and military) perform their
\nduties.<\/p>\n
\"But we should also realize that not all parties are ready for
\nchange. Such unreadiness should not be defended by sacrificing
\nthe bigger interest. We should not read the division of
\nresponsibilities as black and white,\" he said, while stressing
\nthat the meeting was held upon the recognition of TNI Chief Adm.
\nWidodo A.S.<\/p>\n
Present at the meeting were former Army chief Gen. Subagyo
\nHadisiswoyo, former TNI chief of General Affairs Gen. Fachrul
\nRazi, former Army chief Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, former Chief of the
\nArmy's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Djadja
\nSuparman, incumbent TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari
\nChaniago, former Kostrad Chief Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah and
\nChief of Army's Education and Training Center Lt. Gen. Amir
\nSembiring.<\/p>\n
Also present were former TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen.
\nSuaidi Marasabessy, incumbent TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs
\nLt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, former Assistant for Territorial Affairs
\nto the Army Chief Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi, former Army Special
\nForce (Kopassus) Chief Maj. Gen. Muchdi PR, former TNI Chief of
\nIntelligence Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim and former Kostrad
\nChief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kivlan Zen.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, the Army officers also vowed to remain united.<\/p>\n
\"We have agreed that the Army must be solid and united. Army
\nofficers, wherever they are assigned, must always maintain
\nsolidarity and all their acts should be based on the policies of
\nthe Army headquarters,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
The four-star general suggested that state security
\nauthorities and the House of Representatives establish \"a
\ntransitional regulation\", which will be valid only for a
\ntemporary period of time, stipulating that TNI could be given
\nfreedom to conduct its security role.<\/p>\n
\"The regulation is required as our legal umbrella, so that our
\nsoldiers on the field can be proactive in maintaining security,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said the idea came amid the Army's concern over the
\nsecurity problem in the country.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. voiced his
\nconcern over the separation of the National Police from the TNI,
\nsaying that it could \"create a lot of problems\".<\/p>\n
Mahfud claimed that a decree of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) on the separation needed to be reviewed in the
\nnext MPR's annual session considering that, among other things,
\nthe National Police had a weak intelligence network and that the
\npolice were technically underequipped to deal on their own with
\nsituations of domestic chaos.<\/p>\n
Mahfud's statement was strongly criticized by the police,
\nsaying that it was the minister's personal opinion.<\/p>\n
Endriartono, however, refused to call the meeting a
\n\"reconciliation among Army officers\", saying that \"there are no
\nfactions in the Army\". (02)<\/p>",
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