New military paradigm
New military paradigm
From Media Indonesia
Now that people are every day of their lives concerned with matters pertaining to security and public order -- especially after the bloody May riot and similar riots in Ambon, Ketapang, Kupang, Sambas, Aceh and elsewhere across the country -- the above issue is worth posing to the Indonesian Military (TNI). Amid intensified public euphoria in the run-up to the June 7, 1999, general election, the community's phobia for matters related to security and order has assumed increasingly greater prominence.
As members of this Indonesian nation, however, we must all be aware that security is our responsibility and not solely the military's. Therefore, if we need an atmosphere where the feeling of security will prevail, the only way is to ensure that the June 7, 1999, general election is held peacefully. Political parties taking part in the upcoming general election must immediately devote their attention to handling problems related to security and order. It will be so much better if political parties make these problems the main theme of their campaigns.
One thing which must be remembered is that one should never turn this main theme into mere rhetoric, but that one should try to hypothetically state whether or not one is capable of deterring or even removing something that threatens to disrupt security and order. Security and order are the joint responsibility of the community and TNI and the Indonesian Police (Polri).
If we go over the history of the military in Indonesia, we can see the military has undergone interesting developments. From the inception of TNI in 1945, and then on to 1950, 1960 and the present day, the changes TNI underwent have been highly influenced by political affairs.
Admittedly, the structure of our military forces has, from the revolution period in 1945 down to the present day, been tinkered with, owing to certain political interests. The inclusion of the Indonesian Police into the structure of the military in Indonesia is an apt example of how political interests have influenced the military structure. Everybody knows that the army is intended for defensive purposes, while the police are meant to maintain public order.
The inclusion of the police force into the military forces, therefore, did not take place quite naturally. As a result, the police were also required to be responsible for defense matters, while TNI was concerned with problems relating to community order. The inclusion of the police force into the structure of the Armed Forces made it easy for TNI to be politicized.
In the present reform era, the separation of the police from the Indonesian Armed Forces, as from April 1, 1999, is something that must be gladly welcomed. Hopefully this separation is in line with the new paradigm of TNI and is not simply a solution or a hypothesis.
ZULASRIL, NA
Jakarta