Defense policy should be rewritten: Analyst
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government should revise its defense policy first before proposing an additional budget allocation of Rp 1 trillion (about US$ 116 million) for the military and the police to handle security problems.
Military observer Salim Said said over the weekend that the Indonesian Military's (TNI) budget was based on an outdated national defense policy that put more emphasis on financing the Army.
Thus, the budget did not meet the country's present security needs, he said.
If the TNI were to focus on external threats as mandated by People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree VII/2000, the Navy and Air Force should receive the lion's share of the budget.
"The government must be clear in the first place about its defense policy. If the policy is to guard Indonesia's waters, it means we need to prioritize training for Navy personnel, the additional purchase of patrol boats and other things," Salim told The Jakarta Post.
"If the policy is to deter foreign intruders in our airspace, we need to strengthen the Air Force by purchasing more radars, spy planes and other things."
Military officials, however, have signaled they would prefer to ignore the MPR decree that urges them to improve their defense functions, and instead return to handling domestic security.
Although the police is officially in charge of domestic security, the TNI maintains its dominant role in handling conflicts involving armed groups.
The roles of the military, especially the Army, in handling domestic security problems has become more prominent in conflict- ridden areas such as Maluku and Aceh provinces.
As the military is very much involved in handling internal security rather than its external counterpart, the Army, with its 230,000 soldiers, retains a tight grip over the defense budget.
Most recently, the government proposed to the House of Representatives a supplemental budget of Rp 400 billion for the police to improve domestic security and Rp 600 billion for the military to do the same job, which is actually not theirs to do.
The House will discuss the proposal during a mid-year budget review next month.
The proposal has already received support from some legislators, including Aberson Marle Sihaloho of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan).
"But they haven't submitted their proposal to us, so we don't know how they're going to spend the funds," Aberson said.
He said in approving the TNI and police's request, the government would need to tap its contingency fund.
In 2002, the contingency fund amounted to Rp 5 trillion, mainly the result of the previous years' surplus in oil and gas revenues.
Aberson said the funds were earmarked for emergencies like natural disasters, riots and refugee problems. The TNI's request fitted more or less into these categories, he asserted.
Legislator Djoko Susilo of the Reform faction said he would call on his colleagues on the budget committee to approve the extra budget request.
But in return, he said, the House would want proof that security did improve in line with the extra funds provided.
Aberson added the TNI and police's top brass should be held accountable if the public did not notice a general improvement in law and order.