Don't let military rule Indonesian politics, says Daniel Lev
Don't let military rule Indonesian politics, says Daniel Lev
JAKARTA (JP): A noted observer of Indonesian affairs, Daniel
S. Lev, warned civilian politicians on Monday against allowing
the military to dominate politics, saying this would hamper the
democratization process in the country.
"Allowing the military to be in charge of politics is very
dangerous as we want politics without guns, oppression or
violence," Lev, a professor at the University of Washington, said
on the sidelines of a military discussion held by the National
Institute of Sciences (LIPI) here.
He said there was a tendency among some political parties to
alter the direction of the reform movement and collaborate with
the military.
As an example, Lev pointed to how Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri made numerous visits to military installations.
"Maybe she should put an end to such activities. Pictures of
her riding atop armored vehicles or opening the law firm of Lt.
Gen. (ret) Hendropriyono... she is supposed to keep a distance
from the military since Indonesians still see it as a symbol (of
closeness).
"These are the questions that Ibu Mega herself must answer."
The People's Consultative Assembly decided in its Annual
Session in August to allow the military to retain its seats in
the legislative body until 2009, defying demands from the public
to phase the armed forces out of politics.
Lev, the author of The Transition to Guided Democracy:
Indonesian Politics, 1957-1959, which takes a look at the
military's initial steps into politics, said the military used to
serve the government's interests.
"Even (the late) great General Abdul Harris Nasution treated
the military as a political organization," Lev said, referring to
the Indonesian Military's founding father, who introduced the
military's involvement in politics through the dual function
doctrine.
LIPI senior researcher Anas Saidi noted that militaristic
values and symbols were deeply ingrained in the daily lives of
the people.
"It's hard to erase such a military mind-set. Vivid examples
such as military-style uniforms used by the political party task
forces, the student regiments, the obligation to join flag
raising ceremonies and the way people are used to resorting to
violence in dealing with problems... all of these things require
a cultural revolution (to erase)," Anas told attendants of the
discussion.
Lev said the issuance of the July 5, 1959, presidential decree
was the starting point of the military's intervention in
politics.
"The initiator was none other than General Nasution, not
president Sukarno after all. The decree was a move to counter the
threat of communism at that time," Lev said.
The access to nondefensive affairs also allowed the military
to engage in business activities, according to Lev.
"Back in the 1950s all the nationalized Dutch properties were
divided among soldiers. That also confirmed their grip on
business activities," he said.
Nasution, Lev said, believed that a good leader must not be
too democratic. "After all, he was a professional soldier and his
loyalty remained with the military."
"Nasution never thought this idea of his was wrong. We know
now that it is (wrong), because this nation has had to pay the
consequences for over 40 years, and therefore the civilian
politicians must not repeat the same mistake."
Lev noted that concrete steps must be taken to reform the
military and mend its relations with civil society.
He said these steps should include the transfer of domestic
security to the police, the reestablishment of military
institutions, a better selection process for promising officers
and the removal of the military's territorial grip, which goes
from the provincial level all the way down to the subdistrict
level.
"I think the most crucial part is its territorial function,
because there lies its strong economic and political links.
"If possible, it (this removal) must start the first thing in
the morning," Lev said. (edt)