Juwono seeks civilian support to reform TNI

Juwono seeks civilian support to reform TNI

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono wanted civilians, not
military officers, to produce defense policies that would help
reform the Indonesian Military (TNI), he says.

The minister's remark came amid criticism over the
government's move to install high-ranking military officers as
senior officials at the ministry in a major reshuffle that saw
controversial figure Maj. General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the new
secretary general.

The reshuffle leaves Juwono as the only civilian in the top
post of the ministry, which is currently facing the crucial task
of reforming the military and putting it under full civilian
control.

"I had a wish that civilians would fill the top posts in my
ministry. I regret that none of the civilians met the
requirements," Juwono said on Friday after officially inaugurated
four high-ranking military officers as the ministry's secretary
general and directors general.

Aside from Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the other new top officials at
the ministry are: Maj. Gen. Dadi Susanto as the new director
general of defense strategy; Rear Marshal Piter Wattimena as
director general of procurement; and Brig. Gen. Suryadi as
director general of defense capability.

"I once tried to offer these posts to civilians, including
activists and analysts, who are familiar with military and
defense issues, but regretfully that some of them were not
capable, while some others were not eligible," Juwono said.

He said existing regulations do not allow civilians who are
not civil servants to fill the top positions at the ministry.

"(But) I have prepared 14 civilians concerned about defense
issues to assist me and the ministry, and I expect that these
civilians will be endorsed in the next reshuffle (as assistants
to the minister)," Juwono said.

The reshuffle announced on Thursday, left the post of the
director general of defense planning vacant.

Sources said that Juwono preferred Indra Djati Sidi, currently
the director general of primary and secondary education at the
Ministry of National Education, to fill the post.

Meanwhile, dozens of rights activists and victims of past
human rights abuses staged a demonstration outside the Ministry
of Defense on Friday to protest the appointment of Sjafrie, who
had been linked to past military excesses including human rights
violations in Jakarta and in East Timor.

The protesters said that the latest reshuffle in the ministry
could seriously threaten the ongoing reform drive within the
organization.

Juwono also raised a complaint over Law No. 34/2004 on the
military which allowed servicemen to serve in certain civilian
ministries, including the office of Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and even
the Supreme Court.

During Soeharto's three decades of autocratic rule, military
officers occupied various civilian posts.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, himself a former general,
has pledged to place the military under full civilian control.

"Our President ended his term of service in the military years
ago. He is no longer a military man and he is quite supportive of
me," Juwono said.