Observers call for review of laws on TNI role in politics

Observers call for review of laws on TNI role in politics

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the People's
Consultative Assembly came under fire on Tuesday for lacking
concrete moves to restrict Indonesian Military (TNI) from
politics.

Military and political observers Salim Said, Mochtar
Pabottingi and Syamsuddin Haris were of the opinion that the
legislative bodies should consider reviewing all laws and
regulations which justify the military play a sociopolitical role
and thus hamper civilian authority.

"This is the right moment, thanks to the conducive political
situation, for both the House and Assembly to determine the role
and position of TNI," Salim told a discussion on the civilian-
military relations at the National Institute of Science (LIPI).

Salim said he was surprised to see the House remain silent
about the law on the role and authority of Indonesian Armed
Forces (ABRI) in the national defense No. 20/1982, which is still
effective.

The law, enacted during the heyday of former president
Soeharto, underscores the military's sociopolitical role to
maintain national stability. It justifies the participation of
the military "as part of the national resources" in the
government.

Salim said the law prompted the New Order regime's
characteristic practice of giving military officers civilian
posts "for the sake of national stability and unity".

Demands for the military to take a backseat role intensified
following the fall of Soeharto, who crowned himself with a five-
star military award, in May 1998.

The calls continued during the short tenure of Soeharto's
successor B.J. Habibie. The government of Habibie, whose term
ended last October, contributed to the diminishing of the
military's dual function with the enactment of the election law
that cuts TNI seats in the House to 38 from 75.

An Assembly decree stipulates that no House seat will be
allocated for TNI, whose members do not vote, starting from the
2004 general election.

Incumbent President Abdurrahman Wahid, billed as a
representative of the civilian authority, broke a long Indonesian
military tradition by giving strategic positions in the
institution to non-Army officers. In yet another surprise, he
recently suspended Gen. Wiranto, former TNI commander, from his
post in the Cabinet.

Salim suggested that the two legislative bodies give TNI no
chance to draft a new law for itself and offer it for public
approval.

"It's the people who will decide on the military's future
role. Don't let the military make a grand design for their own
role and position in the future. Never repeat past mistakes,"
Salim said.

Syamsuddin said that President Abdurrahman's government could
not force a swift change because it would spark strong reaction
from the military.

He hailed Abdurrahman's efforts to distance himself from the
military, despite the fact that he included three Army generals
in his Cabinet.

"It should be deemed as a gradual step to total elimination of
the military from politics."

Mochtar Pabottingi said military involvement in politics could
not be separated from the country's history which was "opaque and
full of distortions."

"To start a new tradition that sustains military-free
politics, we have to weed the country's long history.

"We used to hear that TNI glues the nation's unity, but the
fact is, we can see it clearly now, that they are leading the
country to disintegration," he said, giving an example of a
military campaign in the past.

He warned that there might be factions, although
insignificant, within the military which did not want to
compromise with recent developments.

Syamsuddin expressed his guarded optimism that the current
government would complete "the mission to return the military to
its barracks". (emf)