Fostering intellectuals ABRI's biggest challenge

Fostering intellectuals ABRI's biggest challenge

By Ahmed Kurnia Soeriawidjaja

JAKARTA (JP): According to military observer Dr. Amir Santoso,
human resources is a major issue the military must anticipate.

Former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret.) Rudini cautions that
ABRI's future challenges will be quite formidable as the
situation will be much different from today.

"This is due to political demand and greater public awareness
of democracy," Rudini told The Jakarta Post.

This, added Amir, is inevitable as Indonesians become more
educated.

"It means there will be demands for better educated ABRI
officers who are involved in social, political and economic
activities. They must be intellectuals who have the ability to
envision the future," Amir, an expert in political science at the
University of Indonesia, said.

"This is an absolute requirement for ABRI if they want to
maintain their role in the social, political and economic sectors
as stipulated by the dwifungsi doctrine," insisted Amir.

He warned that if ABRI failed to anticipate its human
resources problem, there will be a shortage of capable leaders.

Despite his concern, Amir noted a number of middle-ranking
Army officers who can be categorized as intellectuals. He
mentioned Col. Subianto Prabowo, Col. S. Bambang Yudhoyono, Col.
Slamet Supriyadi and Col. Yourda Adnan.

"They are examples of what I would call intellectual soldiers.
They are the military's future leaders," said Amir.

Col. Prabowo, 43, is the most talked about of the rising
stars. Prabowo, son of Indonesia's economic guru Sumitro
Djojohadikusumo, is married to Siti Hediati, a daughter of
President Soeharto. A 1972 graduate of the National Military
Academy, he is now deputy commander of the Kopassus special
forces. It is only a matter of time before he commands Kopassus.

His ability was demonstrated as a major assigned in East
Timor. In December 1978, he captured the president and minister
of defense of Fretilin, Lobato.

Col. Yudhoyono, 46, is another rising star. Now the military
commander of Yogyakarta, he is noted for his flexibility and
friendliness.

A 1973 graduate of the Military Academy, Yudhoyono has a
master's degree in management from Webster University in the U.S.
as well as military experience in the U.S. Yudhoyono was formerly
the assistant for operations at Jakarta military headquarters. He
was considered successful in maintaining security during last
year's APEC meetings.

Col. Yourda Adnan and Col. Slamet Supriyadi are the military
commanders of the Banda Aceh and Solo (Surakarta) respectively.

Other officers who will likely hold top positions in ABRI are
Col. Syamsul Ma'arif (military commander of Surabaya), Col. Agus
Wirahadikusumah (military commander of Bali), Col. Mahidin
Simbolon (military commander of East Timor), and Col. Gaffar
Rachman (assistant for operations for the Jakarta military). They
all graduated from the National Military Academy in the early
1970s and have all received military training abroad. Most also
have master's degrees. Col. Agus Wirahadikusumah, for example,
has a master's degree in public administration from Harvard
University.

However, only a number of the 1970s' graduates have reached
the rank of general. Among them are Brig. Gen. Subagyo HS,
commander of Kopassus, and Brig. Gen. Djoko Subroto, chief of
staff of the Military Command IV/Diponegoro. Both graduated in
1970. Brig. Gen. Agus Wijaya, now deputy assistant for general
planning at the Armed Forces headquarters, graduated in 1971.