Megawati tells TNI not to worry about rights abuse charges
Megawati tells TNI not to worry about rights abuse charges
Tiarma Siboro
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the Indonesian Military
(TNI) on Saturday to keep the country intact and said not to
worry about accusations of human rights abuses in carrying out
its work.
Megawati said such charges would be baseless as long as
soldiers respected existing laws and the military's code of
conduct, or Sapta Marga.
"Just do everything without hesitation and believe that as
long as you keep it (the law) as your guide, you can carry out
your duties without having to worry that you will violate human
rights," she said in her speech at a ceremony marking the Army's
Kartika Struggle Day.
The military has been accused of gross human rights violations
in the troubled provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya as well in East
Timor, which broke away from Indonesia in August 1999.
A special human rights court is due to open next month to try
soldiers, police and civilians accused of crimes allegedly
committed in East Timor in 1999.
Many have also questioned the military's efficacy in quelling
communal and sectarian violence in the Maluku islands and Central
Sulawesi, which has claimed thousands of lives over the last
three years.
After the 1998 downfall of former dictator Soeharto, who ruled
the country for 32 years with an iron fist, there was an
outpouring of public resentment over the military's extensive
roles, particularly in politics.
Human rights groups and victims of the military's brutality
have demanded that troops be withdrawn from Aceh and Irian Jaya
in a bid to stop violations there.
Army leaders have admitted that, on the one hand, the military
has wanted to crush separatist rebels fighting for independence
in several parts of the country, but on the other hand has often
been worried about being accused of human rights abuses in
cracking down on the rebel movements.
Megawati further told soldiers attending Saturday's ceremony
that people may sometimes condemn them for various reasons, but
at other times they may need them to prevent the country from
breaking apart.
"Even if we are sometimes reluctant to show our need for the
military's presence, we will suddenly be reminded that we need a
force to protect our beloved country from disintegration," she
said.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto gave a warm
response to Megawati's speech, saying the remarks issued by the
TNI supreme commander could be used to justify any decision by
the military to contain conflicts.
Fourth president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid had once tried to
promote dialogs between civilian and military figures as part of
his efforts to boost the poor performance of the TNI, which was
still controlled by anti-reform forces.
However, his measures created friction among the TNI's top
brass, who mostly accused Gus Dur of having attempted to corner
them.
Saturday's ceremony, marking the Army's 1945-1949 battle
against the Dutch colonizers in Central Java, known as the
Palagan Ambarawa conflict, was not in keeping with tradition --
no previous commemorations had been held in Jakarta and none had
been led by the president.