Military neglecting focus on professionalism

The Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has clearly shown how the military is still active in politics while there is still so much to do in striving toward a professional military, defense researcher M. Riefqi Moena told The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti.

Question: How do you see the bargaining position of the Indonesian Military (TNI) nowadays as reflected through their faction in the Assembly's Annual Session?

Answer: My specialty is defense, not politics. But it's clear that (the current developments) show a setback in the military's declared commitment to its reform. They have said their role is (among other things) to no longer take up any positions (menduduki), but to exert influence, which they are doing now.

Q: The military has raised several proposals; a return to the original clauses of the 1945 Constitution if amendments could not be agreed upon (a day before TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto proposed a return to the 1945 text) or that the Constitution and its amendments be declared a transitional constitution, pending the establishment of an independent commission -- the latter being similar to the suggestion raised by private groups and some other MPR factions. What is your comment?

A: Regardless of the details, the statement did not come from the TNI/National Police faction but from the TNI chief. He should not have issued such a statement. If the TNI are really committed to reform in a democratic system they should follow civilian politicians. Clearly they still want to be involved in day-to-day politics.

The military is an instrument of the state and it has its own privileges. But the military elite don't seem to quite understand this, and they do not want to follow civilian authority.

Reform in the TNI will be determined by leadership -- civilian and military. If this leadership, either civilian or military, is too assertive and arrogant, it will slow down the reform process. This is my conclusion for the Annual Session so far.

Q: But hasn't the TNI/National Police faction turned out to be comparatively progressive regarding, for instance, an independent constitution commission?

A: I can only stress that civilian politicians must be more responsible, constructive and disciplined as representatives of the people. Of course the military is more disciplined and more efficient as it has its chain of command but its existence in the representative bodies is in contradiction with democracy.

Q: Were you expecting that the TNI would live up to all their statements regarding reform, including what they shared in consultations with researchers?

A: I was hoping so -- I joined a number of these meetings, too -- but we must realize that the TNI Headquarters is still dominated by the political thinking of army generals. The officers that we talked to were only a part of the TNI.

Q: How do you see the differing statements within the TNI, such as Endriartono's statement to return to the 1945 Constitution, which was corrected a day later?

A: It was part of a political game which was not properly prepared -- but that's precisely the point -- they shouldn't be playing at all. Was the statement or the correction reflecting individuals or the institution? Within the TNI there are still significant differences -- between those supporting and advocating reform in the TNI in the larger context of reform in the country; and those who adopt the classic approach, (such as the need for the military to stay active in politics to safeguard the nation from domestic and external threats).

But in military reform there is so much to do; regarding the doctrine itself, the organizational structure and the weaponry. The military should focus on all that or else it will not become a professional military, but a political one.

Q: Do you think the TNI has forgotten their commitment to reform?

A: Maybe they think the current process is not what they expected. Reform depends on both the civilians and the military -- and we can see that this is not quite the case. Civilians must learn to be more mature. And the military must be more willing to be a part of a democratic system. Their involvement in politics has gone far enough.