Armed forces should quit politics, says observer
Armed forces should quit politics, says observer
JAKARTA (JP): A civil society cannot be developed if the Armed
Forces (ABRI) remains entrenched in the political system because
events over the past 30 years show that its presence stifles
democracy, senior political scientist Arbi Sanit said here
Saturday.
Arbi of the University of Indonesia's School of Social and
Political Sciences said the Armed Forces must abandon its
sociopolitical role and return to a strict role of defense and
security.
"I suggest that ABRI now returns to the barracks because it
has been suppressing democratic principles for the past 30
years," he said at a seminar on the relevance of the Armed
Forces' dual function.
Arbi maintained that the Armed Forces' active involvement in
almost every state institution, representative body and political
party during the New Order regime under former president Soeharto
had made it an "uncontrollable" element.
"But its involvement has also cost ABRI a lot. It's tragic
that the military indulges in the practice of murdering its own
people. These acts only tarnish its honor before the people and
international world," Arbi said, referring to the recent
revelations of the military's involvement in serious human rights
abuses.
Armed Forces top brass admitted last month that members of the
Army's Special Force (Kopassus) may have been involved in the
abductions of political activists.
Violations
Frequent reports of human rights violations going back to the
early 1990s, allegedly committed by military units in Aceh, have
also surfaced which eventually led to Minister of Defense and
Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto's pledge on Friday
to withdraw troops from the province.
Arbi therefore said that now was the time for the Armed Forces
to relinquish its political role and yield to the authority and
sovereignty of the people.
"Let people exercise their political rights and control the
government," Arbi asserted.
He also called on active military personnel to resign from
service if they held nonmilitary positions.
"In principle active ABRI members should not hold civilian
posts," Arbi added.
Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid and Attorney General
Andi Muhammad Ghalib are among active Armed Forces members who
hold strategic civilian posts.
Political activist Pius Lustrilanang, who also spoke at
Saturday's seminar, shared Arbi's opinion, saying that exposing
the violent and inhumane acts committed by the Armed Forces was
one effective way of sending them back to the barracks.
"Reveal as much evidence of their violence as possible," said
Pius.
Pius himself was a victim of the abductions allegedly carried
out by Kopassus.
He stressed that all violations and crimes committed by the
Armed Forces in the past must be disclosed and those responsible
be held accountable.
"They must be prosecuted otherwise they will feel that they
are above the law," he added. (byg)