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)