Military claims its reform slow due to lack of money

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.