Munir too subjective

Munir's success in uncovering a case of missing persons whose abductors happened to be certain members of security apparatuses (the military and police) seems to continue to overshadow his pattern of thoughts so that he always places them as the parties to blame. This is an error which is really regrettable because with the courage and spirit he has, he must be able to assume a neutral position, something which is unfortunately not the case.

I have never read in the mass media any of his statements and comments that justify the acts taken by the security apparatuses. In a recent hearing with the United Development faction in the House of People's Representatives, Munir was quoted in a mass media publication in the capital city in an example as follows: "The commander-in-chief of the military has instructed his soldiers to shoot civilians in Aceh."

Reading this made me wonder whether the commander-in-chief of the military was that evil and whether the members of the Indonesian military (TNI) had forgotten their Sapta Marga (Seven- Point Soldier's Oath) and the obligations of the TNI or, whether, in this respect "Munir had turned provocateur" trying to sow the community's hatred against the TNI and the police.

Personally, we may dislike a certain institution because of ill treatment that we have witnessed or undergone but this need not be generalized and blown-up to shape a public opinion in our favor. Everybody is entitled to their own human rights so the way Mr. Munir thinks of the TNI as an institution is highly subjective.

Especially with respect to the TNI, it would be better for Mr Munir to understand that this institution is very much needed in a state and that success achieved by the TNI in ensuring that the security is stable is often taken note of while even the smallest mistake it makes will always get blown-up exposure. In conjunction with this, I begin to have my doubts whether Mr. Munir and his Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violent Acts (Kontras), in blowing up the case in Aceh, have been objective enough in seeing the problem evolving in this region. When many members of the TNI and the Crack-Riot Troops (PPRM) were killed in Aceh by the gang of security disturbers, Mr. Munir seemed to turn a blind eye. But if any member of the gang of security disturbers happened to be killed in an armed clash, this must be the mistake/cruelty of the TNI and the case must be subjected to clarification and investigation.

All this has left me wondering whether the function of control that the community, including Kontras, wishes to establish, is really aimed at impairing or destroying such institutions as the TNI or at correcting irregularities so that an institution will not get out of its track. It is really a pity if something already solid must finally be impaired simply due to tendentious and disproportionate pressure from the community.

T.P. JOENED

Depok, West Java