`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.