Military set to promote political dialog, chief says
JAKARTA (JP): The military has taken on the task of promoting greater dialog in the coming years because it is essential to the political decision-making process in modern Indonesia, Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung says.
In order for dialog to occur, there must be room for differences of opinion, and so this too must be encouraged, Feisal told a seminar on nationalism here on Wednesday.
Feisal disclosed to the participants that ABRI has made the promotion of "political openness with responsibility" one of its five chief tasks in the coming years.
"The absence of political dialog will cause stagnation and mounting dissatisfaction," he told the seminar, which was organized by Golkar, the ruling political organization.
Political decisions arrived at through dialog are likely to enjoy more widespread support from the various political components in the country, he said.
"But dialog is only possible in an open and free atmosphere," he said, stressing that there must be room for people to differ in their opinions and views in order to encourage healthy discourse.
Openness and the freedom to communicate ideas will provide the country's leaders with valuable input in making crucial decisions. "People should have freedom to speak out and hold different opinions."
"Only in an open society can people see transparently the rationale, motivation and the process of a government's policy," he added.
Feisal, however, warned the people against idolizing freedom and openness, stressing that they are simply means to an end.
"What we need to do in the near future is reach a consensus on the definition of freedom to speak, taking into account our cultural condition," he said.
ABRI has a special status in the political system through its "dual function" doctrine that recognizes its role in politics as well as security and defense.
Main challenges
The military, according to Feisal, recognizes that the sense of nationalism of the Indonesian people is now being tested both internally and externally.
Internally, the main challenges are the lack of discipline and the poor work ethics of the people and the increasing demand for greater regional autonomy. Externally, the rapid globalization process is threatening to erode the nationalist sentiments of the people.
ABRI will strive to strike the right balance between the need to preserve positive local values and adopt modern ones, he said.
Feisal was one of the last speakers at the three-day seminar which had also seen a host of government leaders discuss nationalism from various perspectives.
Lt. Gen. (ret) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo, who moderated the session on Wednesday, underlined lack of discipline as a potential disintegrating factor.
"Because of this lack of discipline, we have earned the reputation as a `soft people,'" Sayidiman said.
He said this is also a factor behind the poor regard people in the country have about the law and the legal system with all its implications, including attracting foreign investment.
"We seem to have a problem in matching words with deeds," he said, recalling the oft-repeated rhetoric about strengthening discipline.
Other speakers on Wednesday included Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat and Hasnan Habib, also a retired general and former ambassador to the United States.
The seminar is a prelude to the May 20 celebration for the National Awakening Day which will also mark what President Soeharto has described as a Second national awakening. (prs)