Religious leaders tell TNI to set aside own interests

Religious leaders tell TNI to set aside own interests

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Religious leaders have asked the Indonesian Military (TNI) to
sacrifice its interests -- at least for the next five years --
for the sake of the country's democratic development.

Representatives of Muslim organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
and Muhammadiyah, as well as those of the Indonesian Communion of
Churches (PGI), the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI), the
Indonesian Confucianism Community (Matakin), the Buddhist
Conference of the Mighty Sangha Indonesia (KASI) and the
Prajaniti Hindu Indonesia, said on Wednesday the TNI's commitment
to democracy would be put to a test in the upcoming election
runoff and the controversy over the military bill.

Speaking after a meeting with TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto at his office in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, Muhammadiyah
chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif told the press: "In the meeting we
challenged the TNI chief whether he could maintain security and
political stability by staying neutral in the election runoff."

Endriartono, Syafii said, promised to keep the military
impartial and to punish any soldier who violated the order.

Also present at the meeting were: NU acting chairman Masdar F.
Mas'udi, PGI chairman Natan Setiabudi, PGI secretary-general
Sigit Pramuji, Matakin chairman Budi S. Tanuwibowo, KASI
secretary-general Prajnavira Mahathera and Prajaniti Hindu
Indonesia chairman I.B. Made Jayamartha.

"The Al-Zaytun incident has cast doubt among the public over
the military's neutrality in the presidential election," Syafii
said, referring to the illegal use of 21 military vehicles on
July 5 to carry thousands of civilians to a polling station at
Al-Zaytun Islamic boarding school in Indramayu, West Java.

The incident caused a furor, as the "voters" had been
mobilized with instructions to cast a ballot for Gen. (ret)
Wiranto, who was running under the Golkar Party flag.

Wiranto was eliminated in the first round, finishing third
after front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and incumbent
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The religious leaders also called on the TNI to exercise
restraint in responding to public outcry against the military
bill for its controversial articles, which are thought to be an
attempt to revive the military's political role.

Military leaders, including Endriartono, have defended the
contents of the bill.

The House of Representatives and the government are scheduled
to begin the deliberation of the bill on Thursday, although
Megawati and House speaker Akbar Tandjung have hinted at
preventing a rush deliberation and allowing the new House to
finish the job.

"I believe the current lawmakers do not have to endorse the
bill, pending the inauguration of new legislators and the
president," Syafii said.

Earlier, the House commission overseeing the bill's
deliberation had pledged to pass it into law before their term
ended on Sept. 30.

The meeting with Endriartono was part of the religious
leaders' campaign, Baseline Framework for National Unity, or KKM.
The religious leaders have also held a KKM dialog with Susilo and
Megawati.

The KKM campaign spells out a program to eradicate all forms
of corruption and discrimination, eliminate poverty and uphold
national unity and security toward the development of a
democratic Indonesia.