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.