Observers tell military must to return to the barracks

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The rejection by several political parties and non-governmental organizations of the contentious bill on the Indonesian Military (TNI) is a reflection of the public's hatred of military personnel's involvement in crime and of military institutions' involvement in socio-political affairs.

Despite the reform era, the people are confused and fearful of "military supremacy", as the country was ruled by a militaristic- style regime for more than 32 years under president Soeharto, also a retired Army general.

The National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) are two of many parties that have opposed the bill currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives and the government.

The parties are of the same opinion as non-governmental organization Propatria and several military analysts that new legislation is needed for the military to continue the stagnant internal reform in the organization.

PKB has been fighting for the inclusion of the concept of civilian supremacy in the bill and for the gradual phasing-out of the much-criticized military territorial function.

"Internal reform in the military must go on," PKB secretary- general Muhaimin Iskandar said recently.

Separately, Makmur Keliat, a lecturer of the postgraduate program at the University of Indonesia, criticized the current hierarchy in which police and military chiefs are subordinate to the president.

"The armed forces dealing with defense must be subordinate to the defense ministry and led by a defense minister while their joint commander should be appointed by the president," he said in a seminar on military and democracy here recently.

Makmur also said that the territorial function in the form of military organizations in the regions -- military commands, military districts and military posts -- should be phased out and all military personnel should go back to the barracks to conduct more training and exercises to make them professional.

"Besides, the government also must allocate an adequate annual defense budget to prevent the military from engaging in business as it has done," he said, adding that only in Indonesia, and not in any other country does the military do business.

Maj. Gen. (retired) Chalib Gazali, former coordinator of the Army chief's expert staff, concurred and said the military's insistence that it would propose its own draft to be taken an a reference and it should be involved during the bill's deliberation was a reflection of the fact that the military has not accepted civilian supremacy.

"The TNI should listen to the people and what their representatives want to do in the legislative body in line with the deliberation of the TNI bill," he said, adding that the military should not formulate the bill itself.

He conceded that the military's resistance to civilian supremacy and the proposed elimination of the territorial function has something to do with the Army's feeling of superiority.

Despite the country's maritime territory, the Army has played a powerful and dominant role, especially during the New Order era, because it has felt superior, not only to the Navy and the Air Force, but also to the people since it has succeeded in crushing security disturbances and separatist movements.

The two presidential candidates contending the election runoff on Sept. 20 looked cautious in responding to this issue apparently due to their closeness to the military.

Irma Hutabarat, a member of the Megawati-Hasyim national success team, said both President Megawati Soekarnoputri and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) supported gradual reform in the military organization to ensure civilian supremacy.

"Internal reform in all state institutions has been in progress, since the National Police separated from the TNI. This has made Megawati's government very different president Soeharto's regime," she said, adding that Megawati has asked the House not to rush the bill.

Budhi Santoso, a strategist of the Susilo-Kalla team, said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also a former chief of the TNI's territorial affairs, would comply with the law, including the legislation on the military, if he won the presidential election.