ABRI needs to reduce its political role: LIPI report
ABRI needs to reduce its political role: LIPI report
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) needs to minimize its
political role to allow democracy to flourish and political
reform to take place, the government-run National Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) has recommended.
The institute said in a report that the military should reduce
its political role in stages; from control through participation
to eventually playing only a backseat role.
This process would involve ABRI easing its grip on political
institutions and redefining its role as a check-and-balance force
in the political arena.
"In the end ABRI should be represented only in the People's
Consultative Assembly," said Indria Samego, who announced the
research results yesterday.
ABRI is currently allocated 100 seats in the 500-seat House of
Representatives. Critics say the military does not deserve that
many, arguing that under the country's proportional
representation system each house seat represents 400,000 people.
ABRI currently has about 500,000 personnel.
After this year's general election ABRI's quota will be
reduced to 75.
President Soeharto commissioned the research in February 1995.
He also ordered the institute to study a more appropriate
electoral system for Indonesia.
That research was completed last year. The findings have yet
to be made public.
The study of ABRI's sociopolitical role was undertaken by
Indria, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, Maswadi Rauf, M.
Hamdan Basyar, Riza Sihbudi and Sri Yuniarti.
Dwifungsi, the dual function doctrine that allows the military
to assume both defense and political roles, has come under
increasing public scrutiny as demands for greater democracy
become more common, the research report says.
Under the doctrine ABRI members assume civilian administration
posts, such as regents.
Indria said this often created legal confusion because the
soldiers retain their military status and so it is not always
clear whether they are supposed to answer to their military
commanders or to the governor.
"Only if ABRI reduces its political role from control to
participation will democratization in Indonesia work," said
Ikrar.
He said the implementation of Dwifungsi had often strayed from
the original intention, which was to bring ABRI closer to the
people.
ABRI's dominance of practically all aspects of state affairs,
from sport to political development, often tarnished its image.
Ikrar said the institute sees ABRI's control over internal
security as tightening despite vociferous public calls for the
opposite.
The establishment of crisis centers to prevent social unrest
is an indication of this, he said.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an expert on regional issues, said that,
unlike in Myanmar, a military government was not possible in
Indonesia because of constitutional constraints.
Both Indonesia and Myanmar survived internal strife in the
late 1950s and failed in their experimentations with western-
style democracy.
The Indonesian military chose capitalism, which has proven to
be relatively successful, while Myanmar opted for socialism,
which plunged their country into poverty, she said.
"Indonesia could let its economic model serve as a blueprint
for Myanmar," she said.
The following are LIPI's six recommendations concerning ABRI's
sociopolitical role.
* For the sake of political reform, ABRI should reduce its
control over political institutions.
* In socioeconomic matters, ABRI's role should focus on the
eradication of poverty and better respect for human rights.
* ABRI officers' presence in the bureaucracy should be limited
to institutions that deal with security.
* ABRI's sociopolitical role should aim at improving
Indonesia's diplomatic standing in international forums.
* ABRI should expand its role in human resources development
from merely dealing with illiteracy eradication.
* ABRI should serve as a model in law enforcement and civil
empowerment, where the public believes that ABRI is not exempt
from obeying the law. (pan)