Underpaid troops stand guard for the country's unity, sovereignty<\/p>\n
Lela E. Madjiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
All across the archipelago, troops share one major concern:
\npoor welfare.<\/p>\n
Soldiers are tasked with safeguarding the country's
\nsovereignty with a salary of only Rp 798,000 (US$88.66) a month,
\nwhich seems rather low as the price for a nation's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Such was the message conveyed to Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nRyamizard Ryacudu during a tour to several provinces in eastern
\nIndonesia from Dec. 22 to Dec. 25.<\/p>\n
In Ternate, North Maluku, for example, troops lamented their
\nwages, which are nowhere near the minimum requirement, as the
\ncost of living there is three to four times higher than in other
\nprovinces, like Java.<\/p>\n
\"It's the government's responsibility to provide for the
\ntroops. Mine is to train them and prepare them for their tasks,\"
\nsaid Ryamizard.<\/p>\n
Poor welfare is the reason why the Army chief makes it a
\npriority to visit his troops, particularly those stationed in
\nconflict areas, so that he may boost their morale.<\/p>\n
\"I'm proud of you for carrying out your tasks despite the
\nshortages. Yours is a noble task, to stand guard of the nation
\nand its people. Keep up your spirit. Without a good fighting
\nspirit, even the best equipment and salaries would mean nothing,\"
\nhe told his soldiers.<\/p>\n
Indeed, morale is low among troops who have been on duty for
\nmore than six months; so much so, that one battalion commander
\nasked when they could return home.<\/p>\n
His question set off high-ranking officers in Ryamizard's
\nentourage into a rage.<\/p>\n
\"I would have fired him for asking such a question. A soldier
\nnever asks when he can go home,\" one major-general told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
An Army colonel, however, said the Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nwas to blame for pushing troops to their limits.<\/p>\n
\"If they were stationed in the jungle, they could have
\nsurvived even without pay. They could have eaten anything they
\ncould find in the forest, but not in a city like Ternate, where
\nthey have to buy their daily needs at prices three times they can
\nafford with their normal wages. This opens the opportunity for
\nviolations, from the innocent act of asking for food from
\nresidents, to theft and robbery,\" the colonel argued.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard's presence was a consolation to the underpaid and
\npoorly equipped soldiers, whose tours may be extended beyond
\ntheir initial order.<\/p>\n
A Kostrad (Army Strategic Reserve Command) battalion in Ambon,
\nfor example, has served in the area for nine months.<\/p>\n
\"They were told they would be there for a month, but now it's
\nbeen nine months already,\" said Ryamizard.<\/p>\n
Nine months is a relatively short period, as many soldiers
\nserve in one area for years without any hope of rotation.<\/p>\n
\"I've been here for 10 years and have so far gone home to Java
\nonly once,\" said a soldier in Sorong. He said the high cost of
\ntravel expenses prevent him from visiting his hometown more
\noften.<\/p>\n
\"A return trip to Java by ship costs Rp 2 million ($222), and
\nwith my wife that means Rp 4 million. I don't have that kind of
\nmoney,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The Army, he said, does not provide housing so he has to rent
\na one-bedroom house at Rp 200,000 ($22) a month.<\/p>\n
\"I could have started a savings if only the Army had provided
\nus with houses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soldiers welcomed Ryamizard's presence and used the
\nopportunity to voice their concerns, from poor welfare to
\nrequests for a meeting hall.<\/p>\n
\"This is quite good, a meeting hall with natural ventilation,\"
\nsaid Ryamizard, glancing around at the makeshift \"meeting room\"
\nat the 752nd Infantry Battalion in Sorong, Papua, which is
\nactually an open barn that also serves as a multi-function hall
\nfor the troops' wives.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard was calculating in his head: The Army has around 100
\nbattalions and if all of them make similar requests, where would
\nhe get the money from?<\/p>\n
\"There are 100 battalions and we have to make priorities. I
\nwill try to meet your request, but given our financial condition,
\nmaybe I can give you one out of your 10 requests,\" he said to the
\ncheers of his soldiers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ryamizard's assistants were busy taking notes,
\nmaking calculations and racking their brains for a solution, a
\nmiracle perhaps, to meet the demands of their troops.<\/p>",
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