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.