Give TNI a chance

Give TNI a chance

President Abdurrahman Wahid's call to the nation to give its
unwavering support to the Indonesian Military (TNI) comes as the
institution struggles to regain its credibility and public image.
Never before has TNI, once considered one of the country's most
powerful political institutions, been subject to such scathing
attacks from the public. It has led some to wonder whether the
criticism is truly warranted or conceals ulterior motives, like
the destruction of the military.

The President is right in underlining TNI's crucial role in
national defense and that it must enjoy the support of the people
to be able to perform its duties. Behind the President's call,
made on Thursday when he met with the military's top brass after
their leadership meeting, one senses an appeal to the public to
end, or at least temper, the criticism.

He was basically saying that the new TNI leadership has
received the message loud and clear and should now be given the
chance to prove it is serious about rectifying past misdeeds. TNI
today has come a long way from the time not so long ago when it
was heavily involved in politics, with many undesired
consequences.

A prime example of its commitment to reform was shown when
TNI's leadership refrained from joining the fray surrounding
Abdurrahman's proposal to lift a 34-year ban on the teaching of
communism. Although the TNI faction in the House, still filled
mostly by officers of the old guard, rejected the proposal, the
military's leadership made it clear that it would not interfere
in the debate and that it would abide by whatever decision the
nation comes to. This is a brave stance considering that TNI,
particularly the Army, would have the most to lose if the
proposal was accepted. Lifting the ban would pave the way for a
rewriting of the nation's history of the tragic period of the
mid-1960s, in which the Army was an active player.

Much of the change in TNI's stance should be credited to
Abdurrahman. In less than six months, he replaced the military's
leadership with officers known for their commitment to democracy
and human rights. His most daring move was removing the powerful
Gen. Wiranto from the Cabinet and forcing him into early
retirement from active service. The President is also responsible
for bringing Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah back to Jakarta after
he was banished to a regional post by Wiranto for his criticism
of his unreformist seniors.

The new breed of officers, led by TNI chief Adm. Widodo A.S.,
has repeatedly stated its commitment to stay out of politics and
to support the legitimate civil government. What distinguishes
these new officers most from their predecessors is not so much
their loyalty to the President, but their attitude toward
political reform and the establishment of a civil government. So
far, they have lived up to expectations enough for the President
to issue his appeal to the public to give TNI a chance.

Promises and pledges alone, however, are not enough to
convince a public which endured more than 30 years of military-
style rule. Widodo's pronouncement that TNI is quitting politics
has not been accompanied by details or even deadlines of how and
when this would happen. Of utmost importance to the public is
what the military plans to do about the Army's complex
territorial structures all the way down to the villages. It was
through the four layers of Army commands -- Kodam, Korem, Kodim
and Koramil -- that the military exercised its political role,
with all the unwarranted excesses. Surely, they must now be
scaled back and simplified if TNI is serious about quitting
politics.

TNI's leadership at times appears ambivalent in answering
public demands for the prosecution of its personnel responsible
for atrocities in Aceh, East Timor, the massacre of people in
Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Port in 1984 and the attack on the
Indonesian Democratic Party's headquarters in 1996. It gives the
lingering impression that the military's leadership is shielding
its predecessors from prosecution. A little more cooperation
would go along way in winning public sympathy. Besides, it is in
the long-term interest of TNI to make a clean break from its dark
past.

While the President's appeal for the public to give their
support to the military is crucial in damming the flood of
criticism, ultimately it is TNI which must fight its own public
relations battles. TNI cannot expect to regain the respect and
trust of the people with mere promises and one or two token
gestures. The military's leadership may have made some
significant starts, but it still has a long way to go.