Civilian militia may worsen social tension: Nasution

JAKARTA (JP): Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution, one of the country's most senior military figures, has objected to the creation of a civilian militia, saying it will worsen the existing social tension.

"It will only make things worse in the midst of the present social conflict," the former coordinating minister for defense and Armed Forces chief was quoted by Antara as saying here on Wednesday after launching his book Perang Gerilya, Perang Rakyat Semesta (Guerrilla War, The People's War).

Nasution questioned why Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto brought up the idea when the country was facing more urgent problems, namely how to preserve national unity and integrity.

The five-star general also met during the book launch with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo H.S., who said that Wiranto had explained well the reasons for establishing Rakyat Terlatih (trained civilians).

"We should not focus on its pros and cons, but we should see... its goal, how it will operate, how it will be managed and its importance," Subagyo said, citing Law No. 20/1982 on national defense.

Subagyo represented Wiranto at the event because the latter was in Hanoi, accompanying President B.J. Habibie at the 6th ASEAN Summit.

Subagyo conceded that some people thought the presence of an armed militia could spark clashes. However, he stressed the militia would be only one of the components in the people's defense and security system known as Hankamrata.

A team from the Armed Forces headquarters will determine the militia's optimum size, its training program, the equipment it will use and how it will be formed and managed.

Criminal law expert Soehardjo S.S. also raised objections to the militia on Wednesday, citing the lingering public trauma over the violent clashes between government-sponsored civilian vigilantes and students who demonstrated against the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

"This trauma will worsen if (the government) forces its will to establish the militia," he said in Semarang, Central Java. "If it must be set up, then the proper legal mechanisms, such as legislation, should be provided."

The image conjured up by the plan was that thousands of people would be trained and armed. "This will cause public anxiety," he said.

Minister of Justice Muladi has said the plan should first be regulated by the law, otherwise it would have a fundamental flaw. Despite this, Wiranto insisted that the military was forging ahead with the plan and the first recruitment of 40,000 civilians would be conducted soon.

In Bandung, women activists staged a demonstration against the plan. They said existing violence in society was already a cause for alarm, without having to aggravate it with the establishment of the militia.

The Indonesian Women and People's Solidarity (SPRI) activists called on the Armed Forces and police to improve their security and law and order duties.

Also in Bandung, Antara said, Salahudin Wahid, the chairman of the Ummah (Moslem Community) Awakening Party, called on the government to reconsider its plan.

Salahudin, who is the younger brother of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader Abdurrahman Wahid, said that if the militia was established without consulting the House of Representatives, then it would have been set up without the people's blessing.

Political leaders who have voiced opposition to the plan include Amien Rais, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Support

Support for the militia came on Wednesday from Abdurrahman Wahid. He told the media at his residence here that he was reassured of the need for the plan by Wiranto himself.

Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, said earlier this week that he could "sleep with a peace of mind" after finding out that Wiranto himself would oversee the plan.

Minister of Education Juwono Sudarsono said on Wednesday that the plan to set up a civilian militia had been misconstrued by many of the political leaders.

Juwono, who spoke before members of the Indonesia-Australia Business Council on the current social and political situation, said political leaders worried or tended to worry that the militia would become another "form of control of the government" and they accused that this was reminiscent of the previous regime's policies.

"Simply, in terms of numbers, a 200,000-strong police force is not enough for a country of 203 million people, the police population ratio (now) is 1 to 1,200... whereas, according to international standard, it should be 1 to 350 citizens.

"I am in favor of building up the militia... simply because I think that's perhaps the only way we can try and decrease or limit the number of people that might be killed during the (election) campaign," Juwono said. Polling is scheduled for June 1999. (swe/har/imn/43/byg)