Bill on mandatory military service and modern defence

Bill on mandatory military service and modern defence

T. Hari Prihatono, Jakarta

The House of Representatives is currently deliberating a
controversial defense bill that if passed into law would require
all Indonesian citizens between the ages of 18 and 45 to join the
military reserves.

This bill, along with another defense bill, is part of the
implementation of Law No. 3/2002 on state defenses. The Ministry
of Defense was scheduled to discuss the controversial bill with
House Commission I on Tuesday.

For many scholars and non-governmental organizations like the
ProPatria Working Group, this bill is not new. About two years
ago, ProPatria was asked to provide input on the preliminary
draft of the bill. So, this article is meant to refresh the
memories of the parties that will be involved in deliberating the
bill.

A state defense system always confronts problems with
policymaking in relation to territory, sovereignty and
population. However, present developments in the strategic and
international environments have led to shifts in the definition
or interpretation of the form and nature of the threats to our
territory, sovereignty and population.

Given the great complexity of these problems, a challenging
question is how we should defend our territorial sovereignty. The
answer to this question will determine the instruments and
management system to be used in our defense system.

Given the present state of the country, developing a defense
system that provides ample room to develop a reserve force is a
viable option. Such a reserve force would have to be deployed for
any contingency requiring massive the reinforcement of military
power.

However, the problem lies in how to ensure the allocation and
utilization of such a reserve force would be effective and
efficient. In this context, it would be important to develop a
strong and acceptable rationale for the establishment of the
military reserves, as well as considering the implications of the
reserves for the current force structure.

This rationale would have to be based on an analysis of the
needs and threats Indonesia could face in the future. The
formation of the reserves should not be done hastily before the
country has a comprehensive defense strategy. The huge financial
consequences of the recruitment of more personnel must also be
studied. Another question that must be answered is how can the
government impose such mandatory service while the country is
dealing with such a huge unemployment problem.

In this context, any discussion on the establishment of the
reserves would run up against a big problem: There has not been a
thorough assessment of the capacity of the main military
components to deal with the real threats that Indonesia is facing
and will face.

Another question that must be examined is: Do we really need
the reserves or should we just maximize the main components of
our security force, the Indonesian Military (TNI)?

Following the process of the bill from its initial draft in
November 2002 to its final draft in February this year, it is
easy to come to the conclusion that, first of all, the bill was
drafted as if Indonesia was facing an "urgent situation" that the
TNI did not have the capability to deal with.

Second, the defense ministry has not made a real assessment of
the real condition of the country's defense system.

Third, the establishment of the military reserves, as
regulated in this bill (articles 2 and 29), is aimed at
multiplying the power of the TNI and at beefing up the national
defense system. This is contrary to Article 7 of Law No. 3/2002,
which states that the reserves are meant only to support the main
components of the country's defense system.

Given these problems, it is clear the two defense bills
require deeper study, particularly concerning the
projection/perception of the threats facing the country and what
is needed to deal with these threats. The availability of
national resources and the implication of the reserves on the
force structure of the military might also need further study.
Taking all these aspects into consideration will improve our
understanding of the priorities of our defense policies now and
in the future, and will help to strengthen our democracy.

In this context, state policies such as the establishment of
military reserves must prioritize the principles of transparency
and accountability. The establishment of a reserves force would
require accurate calculations and could not be based solely on
the government's wishes.

The writer is executive director of ProPatria.