TNI's latest move
\na bid to fool the clock?<\/p>\n
Imanuddin Razak
\nStaff Writer
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta
\niman@thejakartapost.com<\/p>\n
Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu fired a lethal shot
\non Feb. 20 when he addressed a media conference, suggesting that
\nthe military's security role be reinstated due to the threats of
\nseparatism and other security disturbances in the country.<\/p>\n
His statement came as a surprise, as the issue involved the
\nnational military (TNI), but was stated by the chief of the Army,
\nonly one of the three forces that constitute TNI.<\/p>\n
The statement also contradicted a 2000 decree issued by the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest legislative
\nbody, which limits the military to a merely defensive role.<\/p>\n
While the public had yet to recover from the first shock, the
\npress got hold of the draft military bill, which included clauses
\nthat would give the Army a leading role in the military and the
\nmilitary chief authority to deploy military personnel in an
\nemergency without the president's approval.<\/p>\n
Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a member of the joint team preparing the
\ndraft and a researcher at the National Institute of Sciences
\n(LIPI), warned against a powerful Army and a possible abuse of
\npower by a TNI commander if the controversial issues were not
\nreviewed by the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The first chapter of the bill stipulates that the current
\nmilitary doctrine and operational strategy be based on its
\nterritorial function, which the TNI had abused to keep its grip
\non politics during the 32-year regime of the New Order.<\/p>\n
Just last year on Aug. 11 the Assembly's annual session closed
\nwith an "outstanding and historic" recommendation that the
\nmilitary and the police quit their "granted" seats in the
\nlegislature beginning 2004. Servicemen who enjoyed allocated
\nseats in the legislature without contesting in the elections for
\nthe last three decades, will be granted suffrage and will be
\nrequired to leave the service should they choose to enter the
\npolitical arena.<\/p>\n
Should the House endorse the proposed chapter on the Army's
\nrole, the results of last year's annual Assembly session will
\nbecome meaningless, as the revival of TNI's territorial function
\nmight also lead to the revival of its presence in both the House
\nand the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Although it has not yet become the unified stance of TNI,
\nthere has been growing concerns at its headquarters in Cilangkap
\nof the need to reinstate its seats in both the House and the
\nAssembly. This is because, politically, the TNI would need such
\nseats as a legal entry point to become involved, and even play a
\nsignificant role, in the decision making-processes at the
\nlegislative bodies.<\/p>\n
TNI's fight to win back the above seats is interesting in the
\ncontext of next year's general elections.<\/p>\n
Although the next elections will still apply the proportional
\nsystem, in which voters will vote for political parties and not
\nfor individuals as in the district system, the fact that several
\nretired military officers have been tipped as potential
\ncandidates by some political parties for the 2004 elections, has
\nprovided many voting options to the public.<\/p>\n
Retired generals like former TNI chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto,
\nformer commandant-general of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus)
\nGen. (ret) Agum Gumelar, and incumbent Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical Affairs and Security Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono are among the candidates proposed by several political
\nparties, including the second largest Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
The nomination of candidates with military backgrounds was
\nlikely a response to expressions from some people of a wish to
\nreturn to the "better times" experienced under the "repressive"
\nregime of Soeharto, also a retired general.<\/p>\n
The failure of Soeharto's three civilian successors including
\nthe incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri to comply with the
\nreform agenda, including the eradication of corruption, has added
\ncolor to the situation, and may even narrow down the available
\nmenu of potential candidates.<\/p>\n
The argument for establishing a constitutional basis to arm
\nTNI with the authority to unilaterally mobilize troops in a state
\nof emergency, has some grounds according to the military
\nperspective -- the country is perceived to face not only the
\ninternal threat of separatism, but also external threats to its
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Some top military officers have argued that TNI had always
\nfaced a difficult position each time it has had to deal with any
\nsecurity threats. Ever since human rights became more of an issue
\nhere, they have said troops have become haunted by the
\nrequirement that human rights should be a consideration in any
\nactions undertaken.<\/p>\n
Televised scenes of generals facing court trials over alleged
\nrights abuses may have incited more doubts among troops of how
\nthey should act. The officers cite such an excuse as one reason
\nfor their sluggishness in responding to security threats.<\/p>\n
The proposed controversial chapter in the military bill was
\nalso likely inspired by the move by U.S. President George W.
\nBush, who proposed a strategy to protect America from terrorism
\nlast year. This strategy included a proposal for a greater role
\nof the U.S. military in domestic security, following the Sept.
\n11, 2001 attacks on Washington and New York, and its ensuing
\nglobal campaign against terrorism.<\/p>\n
While TNI has formally declared its commitment to reform,
\nmeaning that they would now adopt a non-political role, there is
\nalso an unwritten but widely accepted agreement among military
\nelements that it would do all it could to maintain the unitary
\nstate of the Republic of Indonesia. It has been internally
\naccepted that TNI could take the initiative in measures necessary
\nto prevent the country from disintegrating.<\/p>\n
This was probably the reason why Ikrar signaled that such an
\noverriding authority of the TNI chief to be able to make a
\nunilateral decision on military deployment could lead to the
\ndeployment of troops to unseat a ruling president.<\/p>\n
Again, a question should be addressed to the House and
\nAssembly legislators as to whether they have the "arsenals" to
\ntrace and deal with the trappings of the bill, if it is forwarded
\nto the House.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, their failure to address this issue will only
\nconfirm the importance of having a district system in the
\nelections after 2004 -- because the current proportional system
\nwould again prove to net legislators who are faithful to the
\npolitical parties they represent, and not to their constituents.<\/p>",
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