Civilian guards 'hamper TNI', Kostrad chief Agus complains
Civilian guards 'hamper TNI', Kostrad chief Agus complains
BANDUNG (JP): The presence of civilian guards affiliated with
political parties has hampered the work of the Indonesian
Military (TNI), whose duty it is to maintain national stability,
Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Agus
Wirahadikusumah said.
"That is a takeover of the military's duty to maintain the
state's sovereignty," Agus said here on Tuesday, adding that he
was not suggesting these groups of civilian guards be disbanded.
"Their presence must be seen as a real challenge to the
military, because they emerged as a result of TNI's weaknesses
and inability to safeguard the country," Agus said after
attending a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Kujang
Airborne 330 Battalion in Cicalengka here.
"If I were rich and did not trust the police and military, I
would hire my own security guards. If people or groups do not
trust the authorities, they tend to protect themselves through
their own means," said Agus, who is known for his outspokenness.
Therefore, the emergence of civilian guards must prompt TNI to
introspection and a return to its main function, according to
Agus.
"Every institution, the people, the government and the mass
media must keep to their own track and perform their own
functions.
"Leave home security affairs to the police. The military will
help the police at the request of the police if they are
overwhelmed," he said.
Agus caused controversy several months ago by suggesting a
radical reform of the military through the abolition of a number
of provincial military commands and all military commands at the
district level.
He repeated this proposal on Tuesday, saying territorial
commands were no longer needed in Java. "Let's take Singapore or
Tokyo as examples. Do you think these two metropolises have
military commands such as Koramil, Korem and Kodim like big
cities in Indonesia do?"
Agus, the former chief of the Wirabuana Military Command
overseeing Sulawesi, replaced Lt. Gen. Djadja Suparman as Kostrad
commander in March.
He said the largest challenge currently facing TNI was its
repositioning. "Political intrigue in the military must be
eliminated. We don't want any external powers interfering in
TNI's internal affairs."
"If the repositioning fails, TNI will be vulnerable to
interests outside its main duty," he said.
Agus stressed that military commanders must maintain good
human relationships with their subordinates. He also called for
an end to what he called feudal practices in the military, which
he said hampered TNI's development. (25/sur)