House, govt struggle to define TNI's duty
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House committee deliberating the military bill and the government struggled in vain on Wednesday to define the nature and duty of the Indonesian Military (TNI) as a group of women staged a protest against the draft.
The government-sponsored bill defines the TNI by spelling out the acronym as Tentara National Indonesia, while House factions want to add substance to the definition.
Legislator Effendi Choirie of the National Awakening Party (PKB) criticized the bill for not clearly defining the TNI. He said clear definitions were important in the deliberation of any bill.
Effendi suggested the TNI be defined as an armed force that served as the main component of state defense.
While most House factions support the PKB's position, the government -- represented by acting coordinating minister for political and security affairs Hari Sabarno -- rejected the proposal, arguing that the use of the words "armed force" would worry the public.
Effendi, however, countered the objection by emphasizing that it was the behavior of the armed force as an institution that worried the public, not the use of the words "armed force."
During the leadership of former president Soeharto, the TNI -- which was then called the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) -- dominated the country's political life, thanks to its dual- function role.
Because of its poor human rights record, the military decided to change its name following the fall of Soeharto in May 1998.
The House and the government also struggled to define military service.
Nadier Muhammad of the United Development Party (PPP) suggested the word "dedication" in the bill be replaced with "assignment."
"The word assignment would underline duty. Therefore, TNI soldiers would carry out their duties responsibly," Nadier said.
However, Sabarno rejected the notion, saying that soldiers were taught to dedicate their lives to the nation.
"They are not taught to earn money. Military service is a period of dedication for soldiers," Hari stressed.
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who came late to the hearing, said the TNI had been trying to improve its professionalism. "However, the professionalism of the TNI is different from the professionalism of a boxer or tennis player," he said.
Endriartono said the TNI's professionalism was dependent upon the synergy of its capability and its duties.
As the government and House factions failed to reach agreements on the nature of the TNI and military service, the House decided to adjourn the hearing.
During the deliberation on Tuesday, the PKB faction proposed the inclusion of four principles -- professionalism, civil supremacy, humanitarianism and transparency -- in considerations of the bill.
Endriartono and some factions, however, rejected the proposal, saying that it was uncommon to include operative clauses in considerations.
Meanwhile, a group of women staged a peaceful demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday to protest the deliberation of the bill.
Arguing that the current draft would only sustain the military's political role, the women, most of whom were accompanied by their children, demanded that the deliberation be suspended pending more public input.
"Lawmakers must suspend the deliberation. We, the public, want to be involved in the drafting of the bill," said activist Yeni Rosa Damayanti during the protest.
They also distributed a statement demanding that active military personnel be barred from occupying civilian posts -- except for some posts in the defense ministry -- and that the TNI be placed under the Ministry of Defense.