Security approach no longer needed: Political observer

JAKARTA (JP): Political observer Daniel Dhakidae has backed the call for an end to the Armed Forces (ABRI) "security approach" in national development, saying it is time to return people's lives to normalcy.

"The security approach is not a goal, but merely a prerequisite in carrying out national development," Daniel Dhakidae said in a seminar yesterday on Indonesia facing the 21st century.

Although security is necessary and people should have a sense of its importance, he said it was not a national objective for which all things, including human lives, could be sacrificed.

In this reform era, he said, the security approach of the military was fast becoming obsolete. In its place, one emphasizing social welfare and humanity must be used, he added.

"We should learn from cases (of rights violations) in Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya. How many people have been killed in the three regions because of the security approach employed by the military?"

Dhakidae made his remarks in response to former minister of defense and security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat's criticism of President Habibie's state of the nation speech on Aug. 15.

Edi chided Habibie for saying the security approach was now out of date and should be discarded. Edi contended the concept was still important and could not be separated from national life.

Habibie said in the address that the social welfare approach should be advanced. Among the ways to achieve the goal, Habibie said, was by campaigning for human rights, democratization and by encouraging public participation in national development.

When asked to comment on the troubles besetting Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya provinces, Dhakidae supported full autonomy for the first two and believed East Timorese should be allowed to conduct a referendum on its fate.

"All this should be done in order to win back the people's hearts in the three provinces," he said. (rms)