Condemning military is counterproductive: Wiranto
Condemning military is counterproductive: Wiranto
JAKARTA (JP): Continued condemnation of the Indonesian
Military (TNI) in retaliation for past wrongdoings could be
counterproductive, Gen. (ret) Wiranto has warned.
Wiranto, a former minister of defense/TNI chief, admitted that
the military was in a difficult position because of its bad
performance in the past. However, if it remained incessantly
under public fire it could lead to a situation which would be
counterproductive to all.
"If the military remains under fire, servicemen will not be
able to concentrate on their main task and such a situation would
benefit no side," he said here on Friday.
Wiranto, who was relieved from his position as coordinating
minister for political and security affairs after he was
investigated for possible rights abuses in East Timor last year,
remarked that the military's negative track record has been used
as a political commodity to make it weaker.
The military has been under fire because many saw it as an
instrument of the New Order regime to maintain the status quo.
Wiranto said that of the utmost importance now was that the
military needed the people's support to restore its image and
allow it to position itself in the civilian society.
"In the civilian society, the military should be given a
position and a role to play but it must bow to civilian supremacy
and civilians should not interfere in the military's internal
affairs," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Asked to comment on the presence of possible antireform
elements in the military, Wiranto said there was really no
friction on the matter from within the military organization
since it was fully committed to reform.
"If the issue of the presence of antireform soldiers came from
outside the military, then there are groups who do not want the
military to be solid. But if it was raised from inside the
military, then it was by soldiers seeking popularity," he said.
Wiranto also regretted rumors of the so-called "Wiranto
Document" that supposedly contains the notes of an alleged
meeting on Sept. 11, between Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana,
Soeharto's eldest daughter, and a number of senior officers,
including former Jakarta Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Syafrie
Samsuddin, intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar and Wiranto
himself.
"It's not true and I consider the document trash," he said.
Wiranto said that following his absence in the government he
had spent his time writing books on the May 1997 riots, the
transfer of power from former president Soeharto to president
B.J. Habibie and on the 1999 East Timor violence. (rms)