Military's internal reform efforts mere lip service, observers say

Tiarma Siboro and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Observers have expressed doubts that internal reform within the Indonesian Military (TNI) will materialize despite the pressure from the United States, which has pledged to resume its military assistance in return.

M. Rifqie Moena of the RiDEP Institute and Anas Saidi of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) stated their opinions on Sunday that TNI internal reform remained mere lip service since its inception three years ago as evidenced by the military's failure to let itself be controlled by the civilian government as normally happens in democratic countries.

Rifqie said Washington had made an incorrect assessment if it justified its plan to normalize its cooperation with the TNI on the grounds that Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, was considered a safe haven for international terrorists.

It was poor law enforcement, according to Rifqie, that had provided a fertile breeding ground for terrorism in many Asian countries, including Indonesia, instead of their large Muslim populations.

"If the U.S. decides to resume military ties with Indonesia without any other policies to support the country's legal reforms, such efforts will be fruitless," Rifqie told The Jakarta Post.

Recently, the U.S. deputy defense secretary and former ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Wolfowitz, offered to resume military aid -- which had been halted due to gross human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999 -- under certain conditions, including progress by the TNI on its reforms and its being held to account for the crimes it committed in the past.

Rifqie said TNI reform also meant that the TNI should give up its territorial role and business interests, as well as its dual function doctrine in a bid to produce more professional soldiers.

He pointed out that so far the TNI had only succeeded in separating itself from the National Police and restricting serving officers from taking up posts in the bureaucracy, as well as professing neutrality in party politics, none of which changes were substantial.

Anas deemed the current political situation to not be conducive for military reform as President Megawati Soekarnoputri still adhered fiercely to the concept of the unitary republic, which gave plenty of leeway for the TNI to exercise its power, ostensibly on behalf of unity and integrity.

"Now, despite all the hopes for military reform, things have returned to square one with the TNI playing dirty, vulgar games and ignoring the political aspirations of the civilian population," he said.

To reform the military, he said, the political elite and the legislators should be aware that the TNI was being allowed to define itself in its own interests despite the demands of the public.

The brouhaha concerning the appointment of a new TNI chief was the latest proof that reform had never taken root in the armed forces.

Despite widespread support for the top TNI post to be rotated among the different branches of the military, the President nominated Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto for the position.

The House of Representatives has approved Endriartono's candidacy. Criticism has been strident from many observers, including Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, a deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly representing the National Police/Military faction.

Rumors have circulated over the past few days that Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu will take over from Endriartono as Army chief and hand over his current post to Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo.

There has been no official statement confirming the rumors, but a Kostrad officer said the command was preparing three banners in anticipation of Ryamizard being promoted.

"We have been asked to prepare three banners, one for Pak Bibit (Waluyo), while the others are for Pak Amirul and Pak Adam (Damiri)," the officer, who requested anonymity, said.

Dozens of troops were seen rehearsing on Sunday in the Senayan parking lot for "a possible reshuffle in the Army's top ranks".