Military fight against terrorism could be the terror itself

Dwi Atmanta, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A usually cool President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to be about to lose his patience when he ordered the Indonesian Military (TNI) to actively help the country's fight against terrorism on Thursday.

For many, the decision may have been greeted with relief as terrorist attacks have been plaguing the nation for the past five years, dating back to Christmas Eve 2000 when bombs rocked a number of churches almost simultaneously, killing dozens. Two years later the terrorists were back, detonating high explosives on Bali, followed by the bomb attacks on JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003 and one outside the Australian Embassy the following year. The latest bombing made Bali the target again, dealing the economic recovery on the island a major blow.

Under the antiterrorism law, some of the perpetrators of the 2002 bombing were sentenced to death. But this capital punishment has not been a deterrent, hardly surprising if we consider that those that carried out the bombings were willing to die for their misguided cause.

Smarting from the 2002 Bali attack, police and intelligence agencies stepped up precautionary measures to prevent the terrorists from launching new strikes. The efforts impressed foreign countries, which have disbursed millions of dollars to help the Indonesian police improve their counter-terrorism skills.

Expecting the National Police to crack down on terrorists singlehanded and keep them from committing more carnage is perhaps too much. This government has rightly noted that even Western countries, which apply higher standards to more- sophisticated security systems have fallen prey to terrorists.

As president, Susilo bears a heavy burden, charged as he is with protecting his people, as he tries to make Indonesia more attractive to foreign investors. Four bomb attacks in as many years therefore are too much, as they have not only put Indonesians under a constant threat, but, as Susilo put it, they have helped destroy the country's economic recovery.

From a political point of view, this ongoing terrorism has put Susilo's credibility at stake. It may dash his hopes of realizing his election promises, which helped get him more than 60 percent of the vote last year.

Since taking office, Susilo has been trying to make significant changes to Indonesia's War on Terror. He announced in July a plan to reinstate regional intelligence bodies, which would fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under the New Order, the military-dominated Regional Coordinating Intelligence Agency (Bakorinda) played a major role in quashing government critics along with the more violent insurgents.

The TNI's expertise in intelligence affairs has been tested for decades as was evident in the relatively undisturbed rule of Soeharto for more than three decades.

The turning point came in 1999, when police took over the responsibility for security matters from the military, which since then has played only a supporting role.

Under civilian governments, which rely much on the police when it comes to security affairs, terrorists have launched attacks seemingly at will. The attacks have happened in a climate where people are increasingly able to criticize the government and exercise their political, economic and cultural rights.

Allowing the military to restore its major role in security affairs will not only be a breach of the reform spirit. More worrying is the return of secret abductions, detention without trial, torture and the extra-judicial killings of those who are deemed militants or a threat to the state.

Still fresh in the nation's memory are the abductions of at least 12 men, mostly activists in a military operation in 1997. An investigation only recently declared these men had died in the hands of their abductors, but no one has yet been brought to trial for their deaths.

There are likely to be far more "enemies of the state" who disappeared through such operations, as they were always conducted covertly.

Security is of course the domain of Susilo, himself a retired Army general and former chief security minister under two different presidents. But it is also undeniable that his rise to the presidency was made possible thanks to the reform movement.

Susilo has got off to a good start. To meet his ends, however, he must justify his means.

The author is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.