Military claims its reform slow due to lack of money

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A retired military officer has admitted that reforms are moving very slowly within the Indonesian Military (TNI) but put the blame on the government's failure to provide adequate funds to achieve change within the institution.

Former Army deputy chief Lt. Gen. (retired) Kiki Syahnakri said here on Monday that it was difficult to change the Military but severe lack of financing had made it hard for TNI to reform itself.

"There are challenges to reform the software, personnel and hardware of the Military," Kiki said during a book launch at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Kiki, considered a reform-minded Army general, was referring to the Military's orientation, manpower, and equipment.

"TNI cannot afford to hire enough trainers for its officials and to buy military equipment," Kiki said.

Kiki cited as an example the Army, which has only 300 trainers, far below the required number of 6,000. The Army has around 230,000 personnel.

The government allocated Rp 11 trillion (US$1.4 billion) to the Military in 2003, up from Rp 9.5 trillion in 2002.

In terms of the Military's orientation reforms, Kiki predicted that it would take at least 15 years due to lack of government funding to implement reform programs, especially training in human rights and humanitarian issues.

Kiki said Military reforms started in 1993, long before the calls for reform of the Military from civilians.

Military observer Ikrar Nusa Bhakti of LIPI concurred with Kiki that Military reform was moving at a snail's pace but argued that this was due to opposition by "conservative officials" within the Military itself.

"These people basically do not want to relinquish the Military's role as the only guardian of the state," said Ikrar, adding that there was fragmentation between conservatives and reformers within TNI. However, he predicted that the conservatives outnumbered the reformers.

Kiki, in contrast, denied that Military reform had been slow due to friction between TNI members.

"There are no such frictions," he said, adding that reform within the Military was an ongoing process.

Ikrar said the Military had recorded some progress in its reform programs, as clearly indicated by its agreement to accept civilian authority.

"But there was a setback within the last two years in connection with Military reform as a result of the recent security situation in the country," he said, referring to the terrorist attacks in Bali.

The slow pace of reform was exacerbated by incompetent politicians who failed to settle social and political problems, Ikrar added.

"The Military wants to leave politics formally in 2004 but its idea to continue its role in politics will not disappear," Ikrar said, pointing to the recent debate over controversial article 19 of the draft Military bill.

During the 32-year New Order regime, the Military played a major role in the country's political, security and defense affairs. Its role declined following former president Soeharto's downfall in 1998.

In 2000, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) limited the role of the Military to defense affairs only, with the issuance of decree No VII. In 2002, the MPR agreed to end the Military's political role by 2004.