ABRI defends its gradual retreat from politics

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) adopted on Thursday a defensive stance over mounting public calls that it quit politics as soon as possible, declaring its intention to gradually adjust its dual-function concept.

ABRI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters after addressing the Indonesia Forum that the country had unique characteristics in political and military affairs.

"We have our own political system and military concept, which are different from other countries," he said.

He also pleaded that the nation give the Armed Forces a chance to help introduce changes in the country's politics.

He was asked to comment on views presented in a discussion by two foreign military observers -- Harold Crouch of the Australian National University and Maj. Gen. (ret) Dietrich Genschel of the German Armed Forces -- during the same conference. Both suggested ABRI give a clear definition of its political role.

"In Germany, military officers join political parties and also join in general elections after they end their military service," Genschel said.

Crouch supported such a policy, citing that military personnel in other countries had to end their active service before they could become active in politics.

Speaking about ways to diminish the military's role in politics, Susilo said it could not be done solely through a forum such as the House of Representatives (DPR).

"The deliberations on ABRI's dual function should involve all members of the nation, not only DPR members," he said, claiming that this was necessary because the military's role in politics had long been part of the national consensus.

Susilo, however, said ABRI was already reducing its role in politics. This did not, however, mean that ABRI would stop caring about the nation's well-being or would allow Indonesia to go in the wrong direction, he added.

Earlier in the discussion, Susilo said: "ABRI has learned from its past mistakes. It has learned that it must prevent any excessive acts while avoiding taking responsibility for all aspects of national life."

The question of ABRI in politics was also hotly debated in a separate session at the conference which featured opposition figure Amien Rais, U.S. scholar Daniel S. Lev and senior Army officer Lt. Gen. Luhut Panjaitan.

To great applause from the audience, Lev, of the Seattle-based University of Washington, argued there would be no true reform in Indonesia as long as ABRI remained in politics.

ABRI must simply get out of politics, said the 67-year-old long-time observer of Indonesia politics, adding: "... and this cannot be done gradually."

Lev said it was the very presence of ABRI in politics that built the regimes of guided democracy in the 1960s and New Order over the past 32 years under Soeharto which the nation was currently trying to reform.

"There will be no reform with ABRI in politics. It's a matter of principle," Lev said.

He also added ABRI should not be ashamed to "reform itself" since it was just one of a vast number of institutions "eaten up" by Soeharto's New Order.

Amien, however, begged to differ in terms of how ABRI should get out of politics.

Luhut thanked Amien for "defending" ABRI. Luhut, a respected professional soldier who is the former commander of the Army Training Center, also pointed out that ABRI had actually reformed itself through its "redefining and repositioning" of its political role.

Amien, before getting into his "defense" of ABRI, joked that Lev did not like the military because "the military is very disciplined, so when it is given 20 minutes it will be 20 minutes".

Lev had earlier breached his 20-minute presentation time limit.

Then Amien continued saying: "I'll take the Javanese perspective..." that ABRI should be removed from politics gradually.

He said this was the reason why the "Ciganjur Group" gave ABRI six years to leave the political arena.

Ciganjur refers to a Jakarta subdistrict where Amien met with popular opposition figure Megawati Soekarnoputri, Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid to form a united stance on political affairs.

Both Amien and Lev, however, agreed ABRI should be given "compensation" for staying out of politics.

To a participant's comment on raising ABRI salaries as a form of the compensation, Lev said it was indispensable because under the New Order regime it had been something that was never properly addressed and that ABRI members were left to "fend for themselves".

"And they did," Lev said.

Amien, however, went deeper, saying higher salaries must be accompanied by "a reconstruction of mentality" so as to avoid even more corruption.

"High salaries in the finance ministry for instance would still make the ministry the most corrupt one of all," Amien charged. (imn/aan/das)