Military set to promote political dialog, chief says
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)