Defense policy should be rewritten: Analyst
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Indonesian Military's (TNI) budget was based on an outdated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.