Transfer of TNI's territorial role could take years<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military, through its territorial affairs chief
\nAgus Widjojo, revealed last Tuesday that it would gradually hand
\nover its territorial function to local administrations and the
\nNational Police. The Jakarta Post interviewed Agus over the
\nweekend to get his insight into the plan. The following is an
\nexcerpt of the interview.<\/p>\n
Question: Former chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves
\nCommand (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah once aired his
\nidea about abolishing the Indonesian Military's (TNI) territorial
\nfunction. At that time, the Jakarta Military Command was named
\nthe pilot project. How would you evaluate the project?<\/p>\n
Answer: Generally, it was only part of the whole process to
\nobtain as much input as possible from the lower levels of the
\nmilitary, and at the time was conducted by the Army. All the
\ninput was then presented to the higher level, the TNI
\nHeadquarters.<\/p>\n
Q: Is there any difference with his concept and yours regarding
\nthe abolishment of TNI's territorial function?<\/p>\n
A: First, it must be understood that we are not going to abolish
\nTNI's territorial function, but to hand it over to local
\nadministrations. Such a transfer is necessary as there have been
\noverlapping functions between the TNI and the local
\nadministrations or between the TNI and the National Police
\nbecause of duplication of responsibility, especially in security
\nand defense.<\/p>\n
Q: Could you elaborate?<\/p>\n
A: We must distinguish between the use and the development of
\nnational potential in the regions for defense purposes. In this
\ncase, the development of national potential in the regions
\nconstitutes one of the local administrations' functions because
\nthey have the authority to deal with civilians. Someday TNI must
\nrelease its development function to local administrations and
\nfocus on defense only, such as training and preparing combat
\nunits in the regions and preparing defense plans for the regions.<\/p>\n
Of course this will have consequences. TNI then must dissolve
\nits territorial institutions below military resort commands
\n(Korem), including the district military command at the regency
\nlevel (Kodim) and all military units at lower levels, including
\nsubdistrict military command (Koramil) and military officers in
\ncharge of village security (Babinsa).<\/p>\n
Q: The dissolution of such lower-level military commands would
\nhave implications for military personnel with positions there.
\nHas TNI Headquarters anticipated that?<\/p>\n
A: One of our concerns in the restructuring is that the process
\ndoes not create internal rifts because of the reduction of
\npositions. Therefore, the program we design must be able to solve
\nthis problem, by channeling the people concerned to other places,
\nor following natural reduction in that they eventually retire;
\nbut of course the latter option is the least favorable.<\/p>\n
Q: How would you evaluate the old territorial function of TNI?<\/p>\n
A: All of TNI's civic missions, as stipulated in People's
\nConsultative Assembly Decree No. VIII\/2000, are principally aimed
\nat accelerating development. Such civic missions, however, are
\nonly carried out following a request from local administrations.<\/p>\n
In the past, TNI's civic activities -- including TNI's
\ninvolvement in village programs (AMD), TNI's labor services
\n(Bakti TNI), the promotion of family planning, the health care
\ncampaign -- were all initiatives of the TNI, decided upon and
\ncarried out by the TNI. In the past, there were also many
\ndeviations of TNI's territorial function, for instance being used
\nas a political vehicle to ensure that Golkar won elections.<\/p>\n
That's one of the reasons why many people wanted TNI to hand
\nover its territorial function so as to avoid any partisan stand
\nbeing taken by the TNI, which at that time was called the Armed
\nForces (ABRI).<\/p>\n
We are now conducting internal reform based on a new paradigm
\nof the TNI, that is to give our best contribution to our beloved
\ncountry to meet the challenges of the new global era, marked by
\ntight competition among nations. To realize this, we must create
\nan effective and efficient national management system in a state
\nstructure that is modern and democratic, with no duplication of
\nfunction and authority.<\/p>\n
Q: When you reintroduced the idea, did you at any time
\nobjectively observe each region?<\/p>\n
A: We've tried to collect input from many parties, including from
\nthe regions. There are some circumstances that prevent us from
\ngeneralizing the regions. We must identify and accommodate all
\ndifferences based on local conditions, so that the program can be
\nimplemented specifically in each region.<\/p>\n
Q: Does that mean that the handover of TNI's territorial function
\nwill take some time to complete?<\/p>\n
A: It is not the TNI's own decision as it is an intersectoral
\nprogram. We definitely need input from the institutions that will
\neventually take over this (territorial role). The handover of
\nTNI's territorial function will also depend on the real situation
\nand conditions in each region across the country. For Java
\nisland, for example, full realization of the program may be
\ncompleted in 12 years, but for Irian Jaya, it may take 19 years.
\nIt may be completed in Sumatra and Sulawesi within 14 years, and
\nKalimantan 17 years. (Tiarma Siboro)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/transfer-of-tnis-territorial-role-could-take-years-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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