ABRI at 51

ABRI at 51

In size, the 500,000-strong Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI),
which includes the police force, may be small considering the
size of the country and the population. However, compared to the
armed forces of many other countries, its role is definitely much
bigger because it is not confined to security matters, but
involves social and political affairs as well.

Formed in 1945, ABRI takes pride in calling itself a "people's
army" that originated from the people and will always serve the
people. ABRI officers often characterize ABRI's relations with
the people as "fish and water", as fish can not live without
water.

Today, as ABRI celebrates its 51st anniversary with a colossal
play depicting its history as a people's army, it is a good
opportunity to scrutinize how ABRI has played its role in the
past 51 years.

Out of its very origins and from the key role which it played
during the struggle for independence, ABRI developed the concept
of its dual function as a guardian of the country's security and
as a stabilizing force in the nation's social and political life.
This concept has been formally adopted by the People's
Consultative Assembly and is therefore part of the national
consensus.

In the last several years, however, there have been people --
mostly students and some retired military officers -- who
continue to question this concept. It is generally believed that
these questions do not concern the legality of the concept
itself, but rather the actual application of it. There are those
who believe that the sociopolitical role of ABRI should be
continually adjusted to the level of progress which Indonesian
society has made.

ABRI leaders have accepted this idea and as President Soeharto
has said, ABRI will gradually move from an active leadership
position to a guiding one and shift its role from that of a
stabilizer to that of a dynamic force. Steps towards this have
already been taken, among other things, by the reduction of the
number of seats reserved for ABRI from 100 to 75 in the national
legislature.

Still, in recent years, questions have been raised -- notably
by certain outspoken retired generals -- on ABRI's relations with
the people. Some have complained that instead of being consistent
in taking the side of the people, ABRI is gradually becoming
alienated from the people. Others have argued that ABRI should
stand in the middle, not align itself with a political
organization and take a neutral stand in the general elections.

Critics also complain that in its endeavor to preserve
stability, ABRI has been too rigid in implementing the security
approach, which has resulted in an overly security-oriented
policy that tends to see an enemy behind every corner.

We believe such criticism is constructive, that it bears no
malice and that it should be received accordingly. The call made
by Gen. A.H. Nasution, one of the founders of ABRI, for the Armed
Forces to "return to the people's fold" should be seen in such a
positive light.

Many are also be concerned about the fact that a growing
number of people, notably from the younger generation, seem to be
gradually losing confidence in ABRI. One occasionally reads in
the newspapers about instances in which soldiers or police
officers are stoned or attacked by mobs of people. Fortunately,
such incidents do not occur frequently or widely. Still, the
growing number of such cases is cause for alarm because it shows
how people who should feel secure and at peace in the presence of
ABRI members are now in some instances getting nervous and
sometimes even feel hostile towards ABRI personnel. The harsh and
sometimes even improper use of violence in cases where ABRI has
had to deal with peaceful protesters has not helped to boost
ABRI's image among the people.

This anniversary, we believe, provides a good impetus for our
Armed Forces to take stock of its past journey through our
nation's history. Certainly in past years, ABRI has rendered us
all a great service by preserving the country's stability and
unity. In the future, Indonesians will continue to look to ABRI
for maintaining these. But new situations bring new challenges
and history will record how ABRI copes with the problems that lay
ahead.