'Ratih' shows ABRI's poor coordination

Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto's plan to establish Rakyat Terlatih (trained militia) to safeguard next year's general election, has caused an uproar. Military observer Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hasnan Habib discusses problems facing its establishment.

Question: Can Rakyat Terlatih or Ratih for short be established without being supported by a new law?

Hasnan: No. Military leaders have said Ratih will be based on Law No. 20/1982 but the implementation of the law, which contains the basic principles of the country's defense and security, must be supported by other laws.

The 1982 law suggests the establishment of a people's defense and security system (Hankamrata). The system will involve the operation of various component forces, including Ratih, as a basic component, and the Armed Forces (ABRI) as their core component. About 12 to 13 additional laws will be needed for the formation of the components but thus far only one law has been enacted -- Law No. 1/1988 on ABRI.

The others have not been introduced because the government has never trusted the people. The government, for example, has accused the people of going extreme left or extreme right. Hankamrata will never be implemented without the government's trust in the people.

Because the operation of Ratih will affect the rights and obligations of citizens, we need systematic arrangement of recruitment and to guarantee the career development of its members, Its establishment will need a comprehensive strategic plan and a law. Otherwise, it would become an ad hoc institution which would not be systematically linked with other defense and security bodies.

Q: Law No. 20/1982 requires that expenses for defense and security operations must be included in the State Budget Plan (RAPBN). Does it mean that the plan on Ratih establishment should be approved by the House of Representatives?

H: Certainly. I heard that a proposal on spending for Ratih's establishment and operation have been included in the RAPBN for 1999/2000 but the amount was very, very small.

Q: Why do many parties oppose the plan for Ratih's establishment?

H: Because society in general no longer trust the government and ABRI on the grounds that Wiranto has never fulfilled a long list of promises. These include promises to court martial those involved in the abduction of political activists this year, the shooting to death of Trisakti University students in Jakarta in May, the shooting of demonstrators around the Semanggi overpass in Jakarta in November and the recent killing spree in East Java.

The honorable dismissal, without legal procedure, of Lt. Gen. Prabowo has also raised questions because he himself has admitted having directed the abduction of the political activists.

Furthermore, military leaders' inconsistent statements about the Ratih plan have caused the people to distrust the government and ABRI.

We can also understand the people's suspicion over the possible abuse of the civilian militia recruitment due to the government's lack of legitimacy and Habibie's inconsistent statements about his readiness for reelection.

Q: Why can military leaders be so inconsistent with one another?

H: This indicates that military leaders are poorly coordinated and they have not read the law before making public statements.

This is dangerous because they are not aware even of the regulations related to their own competence, security and defense. How can we expect the upholding of law enforcement in such a condition? Indonesia might become an ad hoc country then.

Q: How can the authorities recruit personnel to safeguard the general election?

H: ABRI is likely to go ahead with its plan to recruit new personnel to offset the shortage in police personnel. The ratio between policemen and population currently stands at 1:1,200, as compared to the ideal ratio of one for 200. But the government will no longer use the term Ratih. National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi, for example, recently used the term Banpol (Bantuan Polisi -- police back-up).

I think ABRI would be better off recruiting new police officers. This will not cause any controversy because it will have clear legal support.

Q: Is it possible for the government to use Banpol personnel to intimidate people to vote for a certain party that will support the reelection of President Habibie?

H: It is true that Banpol and military personnel were used in the past elections to generate more votes for Golkar. That was possible in the past because the administration, supervision and security of the elections were government institutions. Such a possibility will be slight for the coming general election because political parties will be involved in its administration and supervision, while foreign observers, including those from the United Nations, will be allowed to monitor. (riz)