Megawati urged to push for military reform

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A prodemocracy non-governmental organization Uni-social Democrat Institute (USD) called on President Megawati Soekarnoputri to keep to the national reform agenda by returning the Indonesian Military (TNI) to its defense function.

Bambang S. Warih, the chairman of the institute which runs political studies and research, said in a discussion here on Friday that internal reform in the military has been half-hearted because the President remains silent on sensitive issues.

"President Megawati in her capacity as supreme commander of TNI has the authority to pressure the military to reform itself as is required by MPR Decree No. 7/2000 and other laws requiring the military to withdraw from politics," he said.

He said that with decrees issued by the People's Consultative Assembly's special session in 1998, its 1999 general session and 2000 annual session, the nation had been committed to phasing out the military's political role and to return it to its key function in defense.

According to him, the military, whose generals have frequently put on "political uniforms", must return to their main task as the state apparatus as stipulated by the 1945 Constitution.

"As part of the state apparatus, the military must be loyal to the president and comply with the Constitution and the law to maintain the country's sovereignty," he said, citing the military had no task to maintain national unity as it has frequently claimed.

Bambang said that according to the 2000 decree on the role of the TNI and the National Police, the military's main task was defending the country from all external threats, while the main task of the National Police was to maintain security at home, which included separatism.

Asked to comment on the voting rights of military and police personnel, Bambang said the bill should give voting rights to all Indonesian citizens, including civil servants, the police and military personnel.

"As ordinary citizens, those working in the bureaucracy, the National Police and TNI have the right to cast their vote at general elections.

"But, the problem is now that the issue has been abused by (Gen.) Endriartono to maintain the military's current non-elected seats at MPR until 2009," he said.

According to USD's recent study on TNI's territorial function in Java, Aceh and Irian Jaya, most soldiers deployed in the regions had no special interest in politics and many military personnel had abused their territorial function to make money because they could not survive on their low monthly salaries.

Bambang said the military had many foundations to run its companies but only the elite enjoyed the profits.

"It is better for the government to cover the military's budget to encourage it to stick to its defense function and to improve its professionalism," he said, citing 70 percent of the military's annual budget had been raised from its businesses.

Military observer Hasnan Habib has also said recently that he was of the same opinion that military personnel should be allowed to exercise their voting rights in elections.