No routine tours

No routine tours

Tours of duty may be normal occurrences in an organization as
dynamic and developed as the Indonesian Military (TNI), but given
TNI's national prominence, every single change at the top of its
leadership today has significant consequences for the life of the
republic. The reshuffle in the TNI top leadership that was
announced on Monday by TNI chief spokesman Air Rear Marshal
Graito Usodo is even more important in the context of Indonesia's
contemporary politics.

The military this past year has come under an unusual barrage
of criticism, not only because of its past actions, but also
because of its reluctance to give up its political role and a
host of other privileges. The behavior of some of the generals at
times defies the military's own claim that it is vigorously
pursuing internal reforms. Such an internal contradiction only
goes to confirm that some generals cannot adapt to the changing
times, and are refusing to give up many of the privileges the
military has taken for granted as its historical right.

Yet, the success of Indonesia's bid to become a full-fledged
democracy to a large extent hinges on TNI's attitude. Civil
society, the goal of the reform movement that began in 1998, can
never be attained as long as the military remains an active
political player. TNI's political role today remains the single
biggest obstacle in Indonesia's march toward civil society.

The TNI leadership has professed to have taken on the
reformist mantle, claimed to have introduced a new paradigm and
promised to relinquish its political representation in the House
of Representatives by 2004. This is a progressive retreat from
politics for an institution that has virtually dictated the
course of the nation's history in the last three decades.

Unfortunately, however, the promise of scaling back its
political role has not been matched by the actions and statements
of some of its top officers. Such behavior has raised doubts
whether the military is genuine in its retreat, or is simply
buying time.

These doubts in turn undermine TNI's public image as reflected
in the endless criticisms against the military. TNI Chief Navy
Admiral Widodo A.S. has the unenviable task of restoring its
credibility and regaining public confidence. While no one doubts
Widodo's credentials in leading the TNI down the reform path, he
must still prevail over some of the Army generals who are not
falling in line. His duty is therefore clear: Purge the TNI of
officers whose commitment towards reform is questionable.

Widodo's appointment in October replacing Gen. Wiranto in
itself was a major step in reforming the TNI. He became the first
Navy officer to assume the top military leadership, which had
previously been the domain of the Army. That was the beginning.
Since then, Widodo has made a number of changes in the top TNI
leadership, putting younger and reformist officers in strategic
top posts. On Monday he put Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, a
rare staunch reformist officer, as chief of the Army's Strategic
Reserves Command (Kostrad). Widodo can count on the full support
of President Abdurrahman Wahid and the public in purging the TNI
of nonreformist officers. We expect more "tours of duty" in the
coming weeks as he continues with the reform process.

Ultimately, the goal of the current round of tours of duty
must be to strengthen TNI's professionalism, which because of its
heavy politicization in the past, is sorely lacking. Widodo must
end the military's habit of forming cliques which reflect the
interests of powerful officers or certain ideologies in TNI.

Longtime TNI watchers are by now familiar with such terms as
the Murdani clique, the Prabowo clique, the Wiranto clique, and
the green/Thaliban camp or the red-and-white/nationalist camp.
Each one of these denotes the figure or ideology to which
officers in that group owe their allegiance and loyalty. Such
division is the consequence of TNI, or more precisely its
leaders, toying too much with politics to fulfill the interests
and ambitions of individuals rather than the force or the nation.

If Indonesia is to become a full-fledged democracy where the
military is put in its proper place, then it needs a much less
politicized and much more professional TNI.