ABRI's greatest challenge: Remaining the people's protector

ABRI's greatest challenge: Remaining the people's protector

Text by Lela E. Madjiah and photos by Mulkan Salmona

JAKARTA (JP): From what started as unarmed, untrained and
often unruly bands of nationalist youths -- with the few
exceptions of those who were trained by the Japanese military
during their occupation of Indonesia -- the Indonesian military
has developed into the most powerful and influential institution
in the country to date.

Laboring hand-in-hand with the people, the Indonesian Armed
Forces (ABRI) has played a major role in building up the country
and improving the people's welfare. In the process it has
produced some of the nation's best sons and daughters, people
whose reputation goes beyond national boundaries to reach the
international community: Gen. (ret.) Soeharto, the President, the
late Gen. Sudirman, Gen. (ret.) A.H. Nasution, whose guerrilla
war strategy earned him international recognition, and Gen.
(ret.) L.B. Moerdani, to name just a few.

The military has also gained an international reputation for
its involvement in the UN Peace Keeping Forces in Cambodia and
Bosnia, thus further boosting its international standing as a
professional institution.

Today, as the nation is still engulfed in the euphoria of
yesterday's celebrations of ABRI's 51st anniversary, we are once
again reminded of its origins, its call of duty and its
commitment to the people and the motherland. The past 51 years
have not passed without incident -- episodes that have not only
threatened to tarnish its image as a protector of the people but
are also feared to have distanced it from the people.

The latest test case occurred on July 27 when riots erupted in
Jakarta following the bloody takeover of the headquarters of the
Indonesian Democratic Party from ousted leader Megawati
Soekarnoputeri by supporters of Soerjadi, who has the blessing of
the government.

Such incidents once again put into question the manner in
which the military handles protesters and its tendency to label
anything that is critical of the government as communist.

The July 27 riots have also confirmed projections that the
security threats that are likely to confront Indonesia in the
future will come not from outside the country but from within.
Even as the government strives to narrow the gap between the
wealthy and the poor, open wider the door of democracy, uphold
justice and allow greater public participation in governing the
country, dissatisfaction among the people remains strong.

And as the President warned yesterday, "dissatisfaction can be
positive if it becomes a source of motivation to work harder and
improve all things that are not good. On the other hand, it can
also become negative if it becomes an issue of jealousy to spread
hatred..."

Public dissatisfaction vents itself in various forms, ranging
from mild protests to violent riots. Soeharto, however, also
stressed that it is the police who should handle domestic
security problems. "Only if it is necessary should military units
be involved," the president added.

It is against this background that Indonesia is ushering its
military into its 52nd year of existence. It is the nation's hope
that the military remains steadfast in its pledge to safeguard
the people, to work for the welfare of the people, to protect the
nation against foreign threats and to cooperate with the rest of
the nation to create a better Indonesia.