62% hike in military budget urged

62% hike in military budget urged

JAKARTA (JP): Defense minister Juwono Sudarsono asked the
House of Representatives on Monday to grant a whopping 62 percent
increase in the 2000-2001 state budget for the military and
police.

He claimed the hike was necessary to improve professionalism
in the ranks and ensure security forces were impartial and
corruption free.

During a hearing with the House's Commission I on security,
foreign and political affairs, Juwono conceded that Rp 18.9
trillion (US$2.7 billion) represented a significant increase on
the current budgetary allocation of Rp 11.6 trillion.

However, he argued that it was the least the nation could do
to ensure soldiers become more professional and independent.

"This (is also) to reduce the proportion of extra-budgetary
sources of income and to make the military more independent and
immune to temptations," Juwono said.

"We have seen in the past that the military's involvement in
politics, bureaucracy and business was due to its insufficient
budget," he added.

The largest expenditure, Rp 9.12 trillion, in the proposed
budget would be earmarked for equipment and arms procurement,
while personnel salaries were set at Rp 5.45 trillion.

"If the people want to feel safe and protected, then pay the
soldiers sufficiently," he contended.

"I don't want this right away because I know it is impossible
during this difficult time, but what I'm trying to say is that
there must be a signal and commitment from the government and the
House to increase the budget".

"If we want to reform the military in line with democratic and
human rights values, we must give soldiers the minimum
requirements to be able to perform their duty professionally,"
Juwono said.

The request for an increase comes at a time when calls for the
end of the military's role in political affairs are increasing
and when its image is at its lowest ebb.

The era of openness has unveiled more criticism against the
military, particularly as accusations of past human rights abuses
began to surface.

Juwono warned a failure to provide a significant increase
would not only be detrimental to the moral of the military, but
also to the state of equipment used by the some 500,000 people in
the military and police.

He graphically described the pitiful conditions of much of the
hardware in use.

"(Rather than buying new ones) Some of the tires on the
(Airforce) airplanes are retreaded ... Some of the planes' wiring
systems have also expired. This condition is horrendous and
hazardous," he asserted.

He warned that the operational capacity of some military units
had dropped by 40 percent due to obsolete equipment.

Poor hardware may also affect the military's ability to
safeguard Indonesian territory from covert violations by foreign
forces.

Without directly accusing the British and Australian airforce,
Juwono alleged that violations into Indonesian airspace in North
Sumatra were detected by Indonesian radar, and "it was not
conducted by Singapore military airplanes".

"As you know the North Sumatra area is within range of planes
from Butterworth Airforce base in Malaysia, which is used by the
British and Australian airforce," Juwono said.

"It is also within range of planes from mobile airbases in the
Indian Ocean and Orion type maritime patrol planes from
Australia".

Speaking on the fallout of suspended military ties with the
United States as a result of the East Timor debacle, Juwono
indicated that Jakarta was prompting setting up closer military
cooperation with South Africa and South Korea.

Threat

While claiming that his mission as minister was to place the
military in a proportional setting with the final aim of civilian
supremacy, Juwono ominously predicted a return to military
predominance if civilian leaders fail to construct a "healthy and
strong" political atmosphere.

He was unabashed in forecasting a Pakistan military takeover
here.

"If civilian leaders aren't able to develop a healthy and
independent political life then we will, sooner or later, return
to a military dominated role just like in Pakistan and some
African states," Juwono said.

He said it would depend on the "performance" of the government
and politicians as to whether the military would take control or
not.

Unfortunately, according to Juwono, Indonesia has not achieved
a level where a sufficiently strong civil society has emerged. He
defined such a civil society as people who have enough affluence
to be directly involved in political activities.

"Civil society is an absolute precondition to democracy, but
creating a strong civil society here will be an uphill battle
because middle class people here make up only 10 percent of the
population," Juwono said, noting that 30 percent was considered a
benchmark.

"So, objectively, as an observer and not as a minister, I have
to say that at least for the next 10 years turmoil is still
unavoidable here, although it won't be as frequent and severe as
we expected," he said.(byg)