Military rules East Timor

The imposition of martial law in East Timor on Tuesday corroborates the bitter reality that real power in this country lies in the hands of the Indonesian Military (TNI), not the President, his Cabinet, or the House of Representatives. Those who fail to grasp this fact probably find it mindboggling that a state of emergency could be declared a mere few hours after the idea, which came from the military, was rejected at a Cabinet meeting, and at a meeting between the President and House leaders before that.

The decree, signed by President B.J. Habibie, invokes a rarely used 1959 law which allows the head of state to declare a state of emergency. The measure empowers the military to do whatever it deems necessary to restore peace and order in East Timor. It is scary to think that we are giving a carte blanche to an institution with a long history of human rights abuses, not only in East Timor but elsewhere in Indonesia, including Aceh.

For better or for worse, martial law has been declared. Even the United Nations has given the benefit of the doubt and given its consent, albeit with a caveat: Indonesia has 48 hours to end the violence in East Timor.

The United Nations had no alternative, at least at this stage, but to accept the imposition of martial law. East Timor has plunged into anarchy since the United Nations announced on Saturday the result of the Aug. 30 ballot in East Timor which gave an overwhelming victory to proindependence forces. Like it or not, the only power that could still be expected to stop East Timor's descent into lawlessness, the killings and the forced evacuations, is still the Indonesian government, that is, TNI.

The idea of a UN peacekeeping force may be gaining support, but even if Indonesia approves the idea, it would be some time before such a force could be assembled to send into East Timor. As it is at the moment, Indonesia rejects the idea completely. The United States, which would provide the logistics to support a UN peacekeeping operation, is reluctant to commit itself to the plan which would mean sending its soldiers and risking their lives.

The House leadership and some members of the Cabinet reflected public thinking when they rejected the martial law plan. They doubted whether imposing martial law could really curtail the violence in East Timor. TNI's history of human rights abuses is one reason. Another is that the decision may have been based on a wrong diagnosis. Since the military is widely deemed part of the problem in East Timor, more militarism, which is what the martial law essentially means, may exacerbate the conflict.

East Timor has degenerated into such a state of lawlessness chiefly because of the inaction of Indonesian security forces as pro-Indonesia militias launched their terror campaigns against the populace before and after the Aug. 30 ballot. The campaign was initially conducted by the militias right under the noses of the police. Lately, there have been allegations that Indonesian soldiers were taking part in the campaign.

Whether these allegations are true or not, TNI seems to lack the political will to prevail over its self-created militias in East Timor from the beginning. This raises speculations that TNI may have its own agenda, different from the government. East Timor has been a military adventure all along, from the 1975 invasion, the 1976 annexation, through all these years until today as Indonesia's rule is about to end. It would not be surprising to see TNI doing all it can to prevent the inevitable separation, and deprive East Timorese of their hard-earned freedom.

If the domestic and international public harbor suspicions of TNI's intentions with the martial law in East Timor, it is because it fits a pattern. With most of the UN officials and foreign and Indonesian journalists out of the territory, a martial law gives TNI a free rein in East Timor. It could use this power, which has now been sanctioned by the United Nations, either way: end the violence, as it promises; or consolidate its hold on East Timor.

In the course of the next two days, we hope TNI will disprove the misgivings. Indonesia's international reputation has already been tarnished by the recent events in East Timor. Here is a golden last chance for the military to salvage some respect, pride and credibility, if not for itself, at least for the nation.