JP/2/TNI

JP/2/TNI

Tiarma Siboro and
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Observers have expressed doubts that internal reform within the
Indonesian Military (TNI) will materialize despite the pressure
from the United States, which has pledged to resume its military
assistance in return.

M. Rifqie Moena of the RiDEP Institute and Anas Saidi of the
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) stated their opinions on
Sunday that TNI internal reform remained mere lip service since
its inception three years ago as evidenced by the military's
failure to let itself be controlled by the civilian government as
normally happens in democratic countries.

Rifqie said Washington had made an incorrect assessment if it
justified its plan to normalize its cooperation with the TNI on
the grounds that Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
country, was considered a safe haven for international
terrorists.

It was poor law enforcement, according to Rifqie, that had
provided a fertile breeding ground for terrorism in many Asian
countries, including Indonesia, instead of their large Muslim
populations.

"If the U.S. decides to resume military ties with Indonesia
without any other policies to support the country's legal
reforms, such efforts will be fruitless," Rifqie told The Jakarta
Post.

Recently, the U.S. deputy defense secretary and former
ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Wolfowitz, offered to resume
military aid -- which had been halted due to gross human rights
abuses in East Timor in 1999 -- under certain conditions,
including progress by the TNI on its reforms and its being held
to account for the crimes it committed in the past.

Rifqie said TNI reform also meant that the TNI should give up
its territorial role and business interests, as well as its dual
function doctrine in a bid to produce more professional soldiers.

He pointed out that so far the TNI had only succeeded in
separating itself from the National Police and restricting
serving officers from taking up posts in the bureaucracy, as well
as professing neutrality in party politics, none of which changes
were substantial.

Anas deemed the current political situation to not be
conducive for military reform as President Megawati Soekarnoputri
still adhered fiercely to the concept of the unitary republic,
which gave plenty of leeway for the TNI to exercise its power,
ostensibly on behalf of unity and integrity.

"Now, despite all the hopes for military reform, things have
returned to square one with the TNI playing dirty, vulgar games
and ignoring the political aspirations of the civilian
population," he said.

To reform the military, he said, the political elite and the
legislators should be aware that the TNI was being allowed to
define itself in its own interests despite the demands of the
public.

The brouhaha concerning the appointment of a new TNI chief was
the latest proof that reform had never taken root in the armed
forces.

Despite widespread support for the top TNI post to be rotated
among the different branches of the military, the President
nominated Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto for the
position.

The House of Representatives has approved Endriartono's
candidacy. Criticism has been strident from many observers,
including Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, a deputy speaker of the People's
Consultative Assembly representing the National Police/Military
faction.

Rumors have circulated over the past few days that Army's
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard
Ryacudu will take over from Endriartono as Army chief and hand
over his current post to Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen.
Bibit Waluyo.

There has been no official statement confirming the rumors,
but a Kostrad officer said the command was preparing three
banners in anticipation of Ryamizard being promoted.

"We have been asked to prepare three banners, one for Pak
Bibit (Waluyo), while the others are for Pak Amirul and Pak Adam
(Damiri)," the officer, who requested anonymity, said.

Dozens of troops were seen rehearsing on Sunday in the Senayan
parking lot for "a possible reshuffle in the Army's top ranks".