`Small budget does not justify TNI mercenary activities'

`Small budget does not justify TNI mercenary activities'

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pressure has continued to rise on the Indonesian Military (TNI)
and National Police to stop allowing their personnel to receive
"honorariums" from sources other than the state, with observers
saying it would weaken the two security forces' commitment and
loyalty to the state.

Indria Samego from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
said on Monday such practices would also cause internal friction
in military and police institutions, which would in turn disrupt
their ability to tend to state duties.

"It creates an impression that TNI and the police are simply
tools of certain companies and thus lowers their standing. The
(mercenary) practice must be stopped," Indria told The Jakarta
Post.

Indria, who wrote a book on the military's business
involvements, emphasized that the practice could cultivate
collusion among soldiers and private companies.

Legislator Arief Mudatsir Mandan, from the United Development
Party (PPP) and who is in charge of state budget drafting,
regretted the practice, as all expenditures and revenues of the
military must be reported to the House of Representatives (DPR).

"This is a violation of the state budget. Those receiving
gratuities must be punished," Arief told the Post.

He added that the House defense commission would summon
military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto for clarifications on
this matter.

Both Indria and Arief were referring to giant mining company
PT Freeport Indonesia in restive Papua province, which admitted
to having paid protection money to the military and police since
1996. The company said the funds were disbursed to pay for
infrastructure costs, catering, dining halls, housing, fuel,
travel, vehicle repairs and maintenance, allowances for
incidental and administrative costs, and community assistance
programs conducted by the military and police.

In its statement released over the weekend, Freeport said it
had paid US$5.6 million in protection money in 2002, up from $4.7
million in 2001.

The U.S.-based company also said the Indonesian government had
looked to the company to provide logistical and infrastructure
support and supplemental funding for security operations in
Papua, because of their limited resources and the remote location
and lack of development in the easternmost province.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin acknowledged that
the military also received protection money from ExxonMobile
operating in the strife-torn province of Aceh.

The National Police have not responded thus far.

Former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said TNI personnel
had been taking protection money since the late 1970s, when the
state budget for TNI was reduced and field commanders were
allowed to make extra money.

Indria said that the practice had reduced TNI and police
officers to the status of mercenaries and it could cause jealousy
and rivalry between those deployed to secure big companies and
those who were not.

Arief emphasized that the defense budget was regulated
transparently according to the state budget, and disclosed that
military and police heads usually proposed their budgets to
legislators and the finance ministry for approval.

"If an extra-budget income is made, either of a domestic or
foreign donation, it must be recorded and reported to the House.
If not, it is not transparent," he added.

Arief and Indria emphasized that the low budget allotted to
TNI by the state could not justify the mercenary practice.

"We all know that all departments have a small budget, not
only TNI," Arief added.