TNI urged to dissolve military commands<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Fresh demands are mounting for the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) to phase out its territorial operations on the
\ngrounds that the system is outdated and pulls the military into
\npolitical activities.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar held by the National Resilience
\nInstitute (Lemhannas), Lt. Gen. (ret) Sayidiman Soerjohadiprodjo,
\nformer TNI chief of sociopolitical affairs, suggested that the
\nterritorial function could be conducted by a special force whose
\nmembers would be recruited from the Army, Air Force and Navy.<\/p>\n
He said the special force's mission would be aimed at
\ndefending the country's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
\"The special troops would fall under the direct command of the
\nTNI chief and would be deployed in the case of an emergency. The
\npresence of regional, district and subdistrict military commands
\nand soldiers in villages is no longer necessary,\" Sayidiman said.<\/p>\n
Territorial military commands have been widely criticized for
\ndiscouraging a civil society and justifying the military's
\ndominant role in sociopolitical affairs.<\/p>\n
The country currently has 11 regional military commands,
\nhundreds of military district and subdistrict commands and has
\nthousands of soldiers deployed in villages across the
\narchipelago.<\/p>\n
Sayidiman said now that the reform movement was underway, TNI
\nshould go back to the basic function of defense and develop its
\nprofessionalism in order to improve its image.<\/p>\n
Asked about TNI's future role, he said the military should
\nfocus on its defense function.<\/p>\n
\"Besides internal reform, TNI should focus on training
\nprograms to produce professional soldiers and improve its
\nintelligence function to detect any threats to national unity.
\nIntelligence officers should master foreign languages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To improve personnel competence, Sayidiman suggested that TNI
\nreform its education curriculum to produce professional and
\nintelligent officers.<\/p>\n
\"The present military academies should be dissolved and
\nreplaced by a military university to produce professional cadets
\nat an undergraduate level. Talented officers should be allowed to
\ntake a post-graduate program at the Staff and Command School
\n(Sesko),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute
\nof Sciences (LIPI), said territorial military commands should be
\ndissolved because of their political interests.<\/p>\n
\"The territorial function has been widely perceived as a form
\nof militarism in provinces and regencies, since military
\ncommanders play a key role in the decision-making process in
\nlocal administrations,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Dewi warned that regional autonomy would not proceed
\nsuccessfully if the present territorial system was maintained.<\/p>\n
\"Regional autonomy will bring nothing to the people as long as
\nthe military still dominates the policy and decision-making
\nprocess in regions,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She suggested that the House of Representatives draw up a new
\nsecurity law regulating military deployment in a state of
\nemergency at home.<\/p>\n
The government of former president B.J. Habibie failed to pass
\nthe 1998 State Security Bill into law due to widespread protests.
\nDewi, a close aide to Habibie, said the bill would have clearly
\nregulated military deployment in the case of an emergency.<\/p>\n
\"The bill was rejected not because of its content but because
\nit was proposed by the military, whose image was badly
\ntarnished,\" Dewi said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, TNI chief of territorial
\naffairs, said the current territorial system was open to change
\nbecause of its temporary nature.<\/p>\n
\"We need an acceptable and legitimate territorial security
\narrangement to handle security problems in the future. We should
\nno longer depend on personal opinions on how the territorial
\nsystem should work,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the House carry out an objective evaluation
\nof the military's territorial function before scrapping it.<\/p>\n
\"If it is deemed necessary, there should be some conditions on
\nhow it should work. But if it has to be abolished, all things
\nregarding security matters should be entrusted to local
\nadministrations and the National Police,\" he said. (rms)<\/p>",
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