Mega asked to pick younger officer as TNI chief

Mega asked to pick younger officer as TNI chief

Viva Goldner, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted military observer A. Hasnan Habib urged President Megawati
Soekarnoputri on Tuesday to appoint a younger officer to the post
of Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, saying the three current and
one former chiefs of staff lacked the progressive outlook
required to end TNI's dual political and military function.

Hasnan also noted the advanced age of the four candidates for
the top post, including Navy chief Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono,
Air Force Marshall Hanafie Asnan, former Army chief Gen. Tyasno
Sudarto, and current army chief Gen. Entriartono Sutarto, who
reaches the mandatory retirement age of 55 in April this year.

The current laws require Megawati, in her capacity as the
supreme military commander, to appoint the military chief from
among current and former chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy or Air
Force.

Hasnan expressed worries over the increasingly powerful
position of TNI under President Megawati's administration, which
according to him raised concerns for the future of the military's
internal reforms.

TNI's socio-political roles were significantly reduced
following the forced resignation of former dictator Soeharto in
May 1998, but recent developments showed that the military were
fighting back vigorously to regain their old powers.

During the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) session in
1999, the military successfully lobbied for the extension of
their presence in both the House of Representatives (DPR) and MPR
until 2009 from 2004 previously.

Before and during the MPR extraordinary session that impeached
former president Abdurrahman Wahid in July 2001, the military
leadership often issued statements tantamount to insubordination.

The re-establishment of the Iskandar Muda Regional Military
Command in Aceh (Kodam) this month is also indicative of the
military's strong influence in the Megawati government.

"With the external threat looking very insignificant, and the
army again concentrating its efforts and energy on providing
domestic security, then inevitably it will be involved in
internal politics," Hasnan said.

He said the existence of the military regional commands was a
cause for concern as these commands were used by Soeharto to
maintain the political status quo during his 32-year reign, at
the expense of individual liberty and democracy.

Hasnan was also concerned over last week's reshuffle of 118
high-ranking TNI officers, in particular the appointment of Maj.
Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as head of the military information
center (Puspen TNI).

"Sjafrie's name has been tarnished, so he must be given the
opportunity to clear his name through the judicial process. But
he has refused to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry into
Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM)," Hasnan said.

"Before his name is cleared, it is not wise to give him a new
position in the armed forces, especially as the spokesperson for
the TNI because he has to communicate the ideas of the TNI as an
institution when he himself is still not out of the woods."

Sjafrie is accused of numerous human rights violations during
his time as Jakarta's military commander under Soeharto's New
Order regime, including the shooting deaths of four Trisakti
University students, and the subsequent May 1998 riots.

According to Hasnan, the refusal of Sjafrie and other high
ranking officers to comply with the summonses of KPP HAM signaled
the TNI's disregard for the establishment of democratic
institutions.