JP/6/EDIT

JP/6/EDIT

Stay in the barracks

Days after terrorists attacked Bali for the second time in
three years, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attended a
ceremony on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the
Indonesian Military (TNI). So it was understandable that
terrorism figured prominently in the President's speech, in which
he asked the TNI to play an active role in the fight against
terrorists.

Pointing to Law No. 34/2004 on the military, in particular
Article 2, the President said: "I ask the TNI to take part in
effectively curbing, preventing and acting against terrorism."

A retired Army general, the President knows the TNI could be
one of the most effective institutions in combating terrorism,
not only because of its technical capacity and know-how, but also
because the active involvement of the TNI would reduce the
"resistance" of some military personnel to his government's
initiatives.

The President apparently also wants to use the Bali bombings
as the cover for testing the public's reaction to the revival of
the TNI's role in domestic security and public order. Susilo
wants to test the theory that more and more Indonesians are tired
of waiting for the police to do something about domestic
security, which during Soeharto's New Order regime was the sole
domain of the military.

During the Soeharto era, the TNI, in particular the Army,
controlled all aspects of life, from the very top of society all
the way down to the neighborhood units. With the draconian laws
that were in place during the New Order, it was simple to jail
people with very little evidence. True, domestic security was
generally better under Soeharto, but then again there was the
problem of state terrorism.

Though both the National Police and the National Intelligence
Agency (BIN) have been empowered, President Susilo knows the TNI
is reluctant to cooperate with these two bodies, including
sharing its intelligence findings, because it cannot see any real
benefit to such cooperation.

If the public reacts positively to a renewed domestic role for
the TNI, Susilo could openly make use of the military in
restoring security to the country, including wiping out the
breeding grounds for terrorists.

And if there is public resistance, Susilo will have lost
nothing, and can tell the TNI that it was the public not him who
opposed a political comeback for the military.

Going by media reports, there is indeed a great deal of public
resistance to the idea of the military renewing its political
role, although many people acknowledge the TNI could play an
important role in the war against terror. But, after the abuses
of power and rights violations during the Soeharto era, people
remain wary of giving the military too much power.

If the TNI does reassume its dominant role in domestic
security and politics, the country could expect its flowering
democracy to dry up as we witness a return of militarism.

No one can deny the TNI could play a decisive role in
eradicating terrorism and other domestic security threats. But if
the TNI was given draconian powers to restore security, that
would only create new problems no less worrying than the security
disturbances.

It is a common practice that every time the President makes a
speech, the contents of the speech are first run by the relevant
ministries and institutions. In this context, the President's
speechwriters naturally could have been expected to consult with
TNI Headquarters on Wednesday's address. This means the military
was fully informed of the President's plan to revive its domestic
security role.

After losing much of its power and privilege after the fall of
Soeharto in May 1998, it is only natural that TNI chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto enthusiastically responded to the President's
speech.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the general
announced plans to revive the once powerful -- but also much
criticized -- military territorial function, which was led by
Susilo himself when he was an active three-star general.

Endriartono is fully aware of the generally negative public
view of the military. Earlier this week, he complained the
military intelligence network was not able to function
effectively because of its poor public standing. The public
uproar that greeted his proposal to reestablish the military's
territorial function only confirmed his fear that most
Indonesians do not want to see the TNI regain its old powers.

We must use every available means to eradicate terrorism, but
at the same time we have to stick to our democratic principles.
True, the internal security acts in Singapore and Malaysia are
effective in the short term, but at what cost to civil society?

The TNI can play a key role in the war against terror without
returning to it the powers it enjoyed under Soeharto. But will
the TNI accept this?