Fresh military graduates told to uphold the law
Fresh military graduates told to uphold the law
The Jakarta Post
Magelang
Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told
career officers on Saturday to firmly uphold the military code of
conduct, human rights principles and the law when performing
their duties.
Addressing the graduation ceremony of hundreds of university
graduates participating in a seven-month training program in
Magelang, Central Java, Endriartono said the country faced
serious security problems and that: "The military must not
hesitate to do everything possible to maintain the country's
integrity.
"As the country is in a transitional period (toward
democracy), various conflicts, involving both the government and
its people or between one group of people and another, are taking
place in several regions of our country.
"These conflicts occur as many people try to force their
beliefs on others for the sake of their own interests, by
ignoring the values of democracy, and even driving the country
toward disintegration," Endriartono said, apparently referring to
the ongoing conflicts in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Papua
provinces, where people have for years struggled for
independence.
Saturday's ceremony was to inaugurate 461 male and 58 female
graduates of various universities across the nation who wished to
have a career in any three of the military forces -- the Navy,
the Air Force and the Army.
The newly graduated officers will be assigned to various
posts, including in TNI's combat units.
Endriartono has repeatedly stated that he will take a firm
position against any struggle challenging the legitimate
government, saying military operations would be launched to deal
with such acts and claiming that the government had been patient
enough in dealing with rebels.
During the 32 years of the New Order regime, then president
Soeharto used a repressive approach to crush separatist movements
in several of the country's provinces, including Papua (formerly
Irian Jaya), Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and the former Indonesian
province of East Timor.
At the time, thousands of civilians reportedly become victims
of the operations in incidence of rape, torture, intimidation and
killings by the military.
The military approach was later condemned for its failure to
address separatist demands in the country, particularly after
East Timor gained its independence in 1999 following a UN-
sponsored self-determination vote.
The TNI has also been blamed for conducting gross human rights
violations in its military operations, with some of its officers
currently being tried at the Human Rights Tribunal.