ABRI marches toward 21st century

ABRI marches toward 21st century

The challenges ahead As Indonesia marks its Armed Forces Day
in October, John B. Haseman and Rukmantoro Hadi Sumukti look at
recent developments and the challenges ahead.

SINGAPORE: Indonesia is frequently looked at as a powerful
trend-setter for the Southeast Asia region. Similarly, as the
most powerful single element of Indonesian society, Indonesia's
military establishment is subject to scrutiny because, arguably,
a healthy and strong armed forces establishment (known by its
Indonesian language acronym, ABRI) is essential to a healthy and
strong Indonesia. Where, then, is ABRI going as the millennium
approaches? And what are the major challenges facing ABRI as it
helps guide this giant nation into the 21st century?

ABRI approaches the 21st century with strong leadership, an
emphasis on improved professionalism, and a spirit of confidence.
Above all else, ABRI is firmly committed to the national defense
and the maintenance of domestic stability. The highest priority
is devoted to prevention of unrest in what is called sara: an
Indonesian language acronym for ethnic, religious and social
conflict.

Indonesia is an inherently centrifugal country. It is one of
the world's most socially and ethnically diverse nations: a
country of hundreds of ethnic groups, languages and social
systems that is geographically fragmented in an archipelago of
more than 17,000 islands. Its crowded population can be violent
and unpredictable: even minor traffic accidents quickly escalate
into frightful violence if just the right spark is present. In
spite of these problems, the country is held together by popular
nationalism, an excellent national communications grid, the
national language - and by the firm discipline of ABRI.

ABRI is well-led by officers of moderate outlook, their
training influenced by international education and experience
overseas. Its senior chain of command is well-trained and
sophisticated. ABRI will keep a firm hand on security and
stability. The great majority of the country's population
supports this stance. Indonesia's people value harmony,
stability, consensus, and domestic tranquility. At the same time
the gap between rich and poor is widening; the rising
expectations of the rural and urban poor as well as the expanding
middle class demand social and political reforms.

Challenges

ABRI's major challenges towards the 21st century:

* Challenge No 1: To continue to develop ABRI into a well-
trained and professional armed force. For many years ABRI was an
inward-looking institution that focused largely on political
ideology and internal affairs. That changed in the early 1990s,
when General Tanjung came to the ABRI leadership and brought with
him a new generation of senior officers, largely from the
Military Academy class of 1965.

For almost a decade now, Indonesian military leaders have
stressed improvement in professional military capabilities. The
significant increase in bilateral military-to-military programs
with the United States and Australia, for example, demonstrates a
keen desire to work with and learn from other armed forces.
Through this process ABRI has gained confidence in its own
abilities and discovered that different countries can cooperate
in defense and security affairs.

Unlike the near-isolationist military posture of the 1980s,
since 1991 ABRI has significantly expanded the number and
sophistication of its military-to-military contacts overseas.
ABRI leaders as well as the participating foreign militaries laud
the value of the professional exchanges of these expanded
military-to-military contacts. The steady improvement in ABRI's
professionalism seems assured. ABRI has just completed a major
transition in its leadership ranks. The Class of 1965, which
steered the armed forces through most of the 1990s, has retired.
The new rising leaders come from the Military Academy classes of
1970 through 1975. They will likely continue a trend toward
professionalism, and support for continued internationalism in
training and foreign relations.

* Challenge No 2: Manage change in ABRI's social-political
role. The degree of military involvement in politics differs from
country to country. ABRI has played a major role in the
Indonesian political system since independence. But current
leaders favor gradual change from the current extensive political
dominance of ABRI to a more traditional stance. While ABRI will
still be the most powerful group in Indonesian society, it will
increasingly exercise that power from the background.

Considerable debate on the future of ABRI's "Dual Function"
mission tends to obscure the basic fact that Dwifungsi will
continue to be a significant part of ABRI's assigned duties. It
is the manner of implementation of the concept that will continue
to change, because of inevitable social, political, and economic
pressures. Significantly, however, Indonesia's most recent
Defense White Paper, issued in May of this year, continues to
stress the importance of dwifungsi to ABRI and to Indonesia.

* Challenge No 3: Maintain domestic stability during a period
of significant political change. Indonesian authorities
categorize the threats to the country's national security in two
ways: the internal threat and the external threat. They are on
record that the most likely threat to the country is internal in
origin. Within that category there are also two extremes: the
"rightist threat" (Islamic extremists) and the "leftist threat"
(communism).

It is impossible to over-emphasis the importance that the
armed forces - as an institution and as individual members of the
institution - ascribes to internal security. An equally important
requirement is that ABRI manage domestic stability in a moderate
manner which can withstand domestic and international criticism.

The Indonesian Parliament will meet next March and, by every
indication, will again select Soeharto to the presidency. Most
observers believe the President will accept. A great deal of
speculation attends the potential choice of Vice President, who
many believe will be the President's choice eventually to succeed
him.

The prospect for the eventual end of the Soeharto era when that
succession plays out, and apprehension over the succession itself
and the prospects for national leadership in the post-Soeharto
era, are natural reasons for considerable national tension. It is
essential for national stability and continuity that ABRI manage
well the political transition.

* Challenge No 4: Operate successfully in an environment of
increased domestic and international scrutiny of human rights
issues. It is ironic that while the ABRI leadership wants to do
the right thing to reduce its political role and to acknowledge
its obligations to respect human rights, at the same time it is
vexed and angered by constant foreign criticism. The current ABRI
leadership is far more aware of the new international environment
in which it must conduct itself. ABRI has benefited from several
years of more enlightened leadership and training. Officer
education courses now include training in human rights issues and
the handling of unruly crowds. Training in riot control
techniques is given to army and police units on a regular basis.
Promising junior officers trained overseas in years past are now
rising to the major command and leadership billets in ABRI,
bringing with them a greater appreciation for human rights
issues, of foreign sensitivities, and the need for greater
restraint in dealing with their volatile populace.

ABRI's stance for the foreseeable future seems to be one of
remaining engaged with the U.S. to the extent possible, at the same
time being far less tolerant of outside criticism of Indonesia's
domestic policies.

Dr. John B Haseman is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and a former
Defense Attache to Indonesia. He lectures frequently on
Indonesian affairs at American and Australian universities.