Demands to reinstate military command remains: Researcher

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Civilians who adopt a militaristic culture pose a dangerous threat to democracy in the country as they could encourage the military to abandon its reform process, a researcher says.

J. Kristiadi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told a seminar on Tuesday the threat had become evident with the fact that some civilian regional governments had requested the Indonesian Military (TNI) install regional military commands amid public demands to phase out of TNI's territorial function.

"The phenomenon suggests that the civilians' military instinct still exists, despite the democratic reform era. It seems, the danger for democracy even comes from the civilians themselves," Kristiadi said at the seminar titled "Hate and Longing: the Trend of Military Politics after the Reform Era".

The requests, he added, proved that civilians in the regions lacked an understanding that law enforcement and domestic security were not part of the TNI's duties to date.

Those regional governments include the Gorontalo provincial government, and several regencies in Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara.

Kristiadi said the reasons to invite military were wide ranging, from fear of foreign insurgency to domestic security reasons, such as communal violence.

The reform movement launched in 1998 constituted a new paradigm that restricted the military role to national defense and gave the authority to maintain domestic security to the National Police.

TNI will completely lose its political role in 2009 when no seat in the People's Consultative Assembly will be reserved for the military. TNI will lose it seats in the House of Representatives beginning in 2004.

Kristiadi said the civilian's military instinct could be dangerous since it might tempt the military back to politics.

"(Should the reinstatement come true) the regional governments could build an alliance with and finally use the military command to crush parties which are considered to be damaging security in the areas," said Kristiadi.

The fear is justified as it is widely known that the TNI have committed atrocities against pro-democracy activists in the past.

The militaristic culture of the civilians could also be easily found in the life of political parties.

The political parties, including major parties like PDI Perjuangan and the United Development Party, have set up their own military-style security guards.

"It is a challenge for the civilians to deal with their natural militaristic culture, in a bid to live up to democracy," he said.