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