TNI's deadly force<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) will mark its 57th anniversary
\ntoday with the traditional parade and show of force at the Halim
\nPerdanakusuma airbase in East Jakarta. But most people have
\nalready seen or heard about what TNI's firepower is capable of,
\nwithout having to go to Halim or tune in their TV. We got a
\nglimpse of how deadly the TNI can be to its own people last
\nweekend, when the Army's airborne unit in North Sumatra decided
\nto turn the town of Binjai into its own little theater of war.<\/p>\n
The attacks by Airborne Battalion 100\/PS on the police station
\nand barracks in Binjai have further undermined the credibility
\nand reputation of the TNI. The attacks shut down the town from
\nSunday until Monday afternoon, as most residents cowered in their
\nhouses while police officers and soldiers shot at each other in
\nthe streets.<\/p>\n
The timing could not have been more embarrassing, coming less
\nthan a week before TNI marks its anniversary. This is supposed to
\nbe a time for TNI soldiers to rejoice, and to share that joy with
\ntheir families and with the people they are supposed to defend.<\/p>\n
Sadly, there is nothing to cheer about our TNI today after the
\nugly incident in Binjai. On the contrary, the attacks have raised
\nquestions and doubts among the public about the institution
\nitself.<\/p>\n
This is not the first armed clash pitting a TNI unit against
\nthe police. And judging by the limited action the Army leadership
\nhas taken against those soldiers involved in Binjai, we feel that
\nthis may not be the last clash either.<\/p>\n
There have been at least 11 similar clashes between the two
\narmed forces since January 2001, in areas like Ambon (Maluku),
\nSampit (Central Kalimantan), Jambi, Aceh, Papua, Palu (Central
\nSulawesi), Madiun (East Java), Simalungun (North Sumatra) and
\nBogor, near Jakarta. While the National Police have to answer for
\nsome of the clashes, we restrict our criticism today to the TNI
\nbecause it is the one celebrating its anniversary.<\/p>\n
Compared to the earlier TNI-National Police clashes, Binjai
\nmust count as the worst and most serious, not only in terms of
\ncasualties and property damage, but also in terms of the level of
\nintervention that was required to bring it to an end. The local
\nArmy commanders obviously failed to control their soldiers,
\nforcing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu to fly in from
\nJakarta to do the job himself.<\/p>\n
While his intervention was greatly appreciated, the
\npunishments meted out to the errant soldiers did not match the
\ncrime, and we have no guarantee that they will ever receive their
\ndue justice.<\/p>\n
After personally leading a ceremony in which 20 members of
\nAirborne Battalion 100\/PS were dishonorably discharged, Ryamizard
\npromised they would be prosecuted in a military court. His tough
\nwords -- he said he would like to see them executed if the law
\npermitted -- meant little because we know from past experience
\nthat military law is far more lenient in dealing with these kind
\nof offenses than the Criminal Code to which civilians are
\nsubject.<\/p>\n
This ultimately is a problem that the TNI leadership, more
\nthan anybody else, has to deal with. More than tarnishing the
\nreputation of the TNI, the Binjai episode is eroding what little
\ntrust the public still has in soldiers.<\/p>\n
It is worth remembering that the public has placed its trust
\nin the TNI to carry those deadly weapons, in the belief that they
\nwill use them to defend the people not kill them. This is a trust
\nthe TNI must constantly nurture, instead of abusing.<\/p>\n
In a democracy, the TNI must make it a tradition to be
\npublicly accountable for all its actions. It must, for example,
\naccount for every bullet its soldiers fire. Alas, as we all know
\nfrom the many past misdeeds that have not been dealt with, public
\naccountability is hardly a part of the TNI's everyday language.<\/p>\n
If anything, the Binjai incident has made the long-standing
\ndemand by civil society groups for a \"return to barracks\" -- and
\nconsequently the dismantling of TNI's territorial command
\nstructure -- even more imperative. It is certainly one attractive
\noption, if only to rein in the trigger-happy loose canons that
\nmany of our soldiers have become.<\/p>\n
Since today is TNI's anniversary, we should let the military
\nleadership contemplate, especially in the wake of Binjai, what
\nthey should do in the interests of the nation first, and of their
\ninstitution second. Happy birthday TNI.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tnis-deadly-force-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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