May the force be with them

May the force be with them

I refer to the article, ABRI lends full support to govt, on
page one of this newspaper on Jan. 3. This headline might create
misconceptions about our ABRI, the Armed Forces. The title
indicates the Armed Forces has no other choice but to fully
support the government.

In my opinion, the only way the Armed Forces can follow is
through carrying out the government's policy. It is a tool of the
government of the Unitary State of Indonesia based on Pancasila
and the 1945 Constitution. So it has no other option but to do
what the government says. Although the same is true in other
countries, I emphasize that the President is the Supreme
Commander of the Armed Forces.

The dual function of the Armed Forces in this country does not
mean that it is a political party and can follow policies other
than those of the government.

Let us take a close look at what this dual function actually
means. Succinctly, it is all activities, endeavors, efforts or
undertakings carried out by the Armed Forces outside the sphere
of jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense and Security. This is
with the sole aim to accelerate national development in order to
strengthen resilience in the process of achieving our national
aim, as formulated in the preamble to the 1945 Constitution.

This dual function is a creation of yesterday, but has strong
roots since the beginning of the freedom struggle. If you still
doubt the legality of the dual function, look up Law No.20/1982
articles 26 and 28, amended in Law No.2/1988. Through citing
these laws, I merely want to prove that this is not a product of
power-hungry military officers. Even the execution of this dual
function has its limitations, some of which include:

1. The political line followed by the Armed Forces is the policy
of the 1945 Constitution, not the policy of particular groups,
not even of the Armed Forces itself.

2. To achieve the goal, the use of arms, armed threats and misuse
of power are prohibited.

3. In the execution of its political activity, the Armed Forces
must use persuasive and constitutional methods.

4. Participation is done in the framework of stabilization and
effecting dynamics.

I hope that with this short explanation, the position and role
of the Armed Forces becomes clear, and there will be no doubt
that its loyalty is only to the unitary state of the republic of
Indonesia through its task to guarantee that all the government's
decisions are carried out without any disturbance. In my opinion,
the Armed Forces has to obey all the government's decisions. That
is why I believe the headline of the article could be misleading.

I would like to wish all a happy New Year, with the hope that
the Indonesian people will have the courage and strength to
overcome the present crisis. If we stay united, I am sure we will
succeed because Indonesia is a nation of winners, as our history
has proven.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta