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)