Endriartono and TNI reform

Endriartono and TNI reform

Along with the return of the House of Representatives from its recess last Monday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri nominated one candidate to become the new Indonesian Military (TNI) commander, replacing TNI chief Adm. Widodo A.S.

Megawati's nomination is Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who is currently the Army chief of staff.

The question is whether Endriartono can move TNI toward the required reforms? A number of social critics -- particularly from non-governmental organizations -- are doubtful that Endriartono is capable to bring about reform, and even more interestingly, they question whether Endriartono even intends to try and bring about reform.

Endriartono is seen as having done remarkably little to reform the Army. For example, he has been judged to have been unhelpful when several former Army generals refused to cooperate with the investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in the Trisakti and Semanggi cases.

Further, Endriartono is seen as close to the Soehartos because he was once the chief of the presidential guards for former president Soeharto. It is feared he will hamper efforts to bring New Order cronies to court.

With Megawati's nomination of Endriartono, these social critics have concluded that the President only wants to preserve her power. Endriartono is considered as being from the non- reformist camp of the TNI, meaning that Megawati, with his nomination, is believed to have made a political deal to ensure her power at the expense of military reform.

-- Republika, Jakarta