Military-civilian relations need review: Rudini
Military-civilian relations need review: Rudini
By Haryoso
SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): As the 21st century approaches,
Indonesia must review its military-civilian ties to ensure that
the two sides continue to work together towards the common good
of the nation, a prominent military thinker says.
Rudini, a retired Army general who now heads an independent
think-tank group, said yesterday that Indonesia can no longer
maintain the old military-civilian style of relationship as
circumstances have changed and given way, most notably, to the
rise of a highly critical middle class.
And as the younger generation moves in to fill leadership
positions in the military and the civilian sector, the bonds that
brought their seniors together in the old structure will begin to
disappear, he added.
The former Army chief of staff, who also served as home
affairs minister between 1988 and 1993, was speaking at a
political seminar organized by the Social And Cultural Research
Center of the state-run Diponegoro University. Rudini now heads
the Indonesian Institute for Strategic Research.
The general maintained that the military must retain its
active role in the nation-building process, just as it has since
the days of the independence struggle in the 1940s.
However, the dual function of the Armed Forces (ABRI) as both
a defense force and political force will have to be reviewed and
adjusted.
He said changes will also be prompted by the changing of the
guards, as the old guards from the Generation 1945 of
independence fighters loosen their grip on the reigns of power.
The fight for independence brought military and civilian
leaders together, forging strong emotional and psychological
bonds and a strong sense of patriotism, he said.
"These common bonds do not exist among the post-1945
generation," Rudini said. "They need new motivation to bring them
together. That motivation is national development."
Their relations must be geared so that together they can solve
the problems and challenges that face the nation, he said. "Most
of all, there is a need for better communication, particularly
between the leaders and thinkers of the two sectors."
While defending the need to maintain ABRI's dual-role, Rudini
said the military cannot take its political role for granted.
"The legitimacy given by the people to ABRI's political role
can only be retained for as long as the people see its benefits,
particularly in solving the nation's political, economic and
social problems," he said.
Rudini said one of the most serious challenges facing
Indonesia is the increasing disparity between the various sectors
of society, especially between the rich and the poor and between
the elite urbanites and rural masses.
He was particularly concerned with the revival of sectarian
politics in Indonesia, something that the nation was supposed to
have buried long ago for going against the principle of
nationalism.
"Abandoning the principles of nationalism could lead to
national disintegration and would be very dangerous," he said.