Soldiers told, again, to uphold human rights to mend image
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto called on soldiers on Thursday to uphold discipline as the armed forces were taking measures to restore their battered image.
Speaking at a press conference at the Navy's western fleet headquarters in Surabaya, Endriartono said the main job of soldiers was to protect people and defend the country.
"I believe that to die on a battlefield is something soldiers are proud of, but I am also convinced that being loved by people is also a pride for soldiers," Endriartono told a press conference prior to the TNI's 58th anniversary on Oct. 5.
He blamed the lack of discipline for the loss of lives during the military operation in Aceh, which has been running for more than four months.
"I'm sorry that we have to lose many soldiers as we are fighting for national integrity," Endriartono said.
He was referring to the 35 soldiers who have died during the ongoing military offensive against Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.
At least 304 civilian have been killed, while hundreds of others have been injured since Jakarta imposed martial law in Aceh on May 19, to allow for the military operation in the rebellious natural resources-rich province.
The number of victims has only added to thousands of civilian casualties in the prolonged war between government troops and the armed rebels, who have been fighting for independence since 1976.
Endriartono said now that Indonesia was facing security disturbances ranging from communal conflicts, threats of terrorism to secessionist movements, all parts of the country needed to work together to cope with the security problems.
He admitted the military could not avoid making mistakes and violating discipline. He said it was people who suffered the most from the violations.
"We realize that our mistakes have placed us in a complicated situation, therefore we wish to mend it," Endriartono said.
"The TNI's dedication to this country should not be limited and we expect that the 2004 general elections will serve as a good momentum for us to do so," Endriartono said, asserting the military would keep itself out of political practices and maintain impartiality.
During the New Order regime, the TNI, which at the time was called ABRI, was the backbone of the iron-fisted regime and was officially involved in the country's social and political issues. The ABRI leaders even declared themselves as the undivided-part of the New Order's ruling party, Golkar.
Under former president Soeharto's regime, the military's omnipresence in the politics also hampered democracy and people's freedom, a situation that eventually broke into the mass movements that forced the downfall of the regime in 1998.
Unlike the past celebrations, the current anniversary celebrations will take place at the Eastern Fleet Headquarters, with more than 8,000 troops involved.
The Air Force's four newest jetfighters, the Russian-made Sukhoi SU-30 MKs and SU-27 SKs, will also feature, along with the American-made F-16s and British-made Hawks.
Other Russian aircraft belonging to the Army, the MI-35 and MI-35 helicopters, will also take part in the display, while the Navy's newest South Korean-made vessel will also be paraded along with the Navy armada, including two submarines formerly belonging to Germany, which have undergone renovation.