Observers tell military must to return to the barracks

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.