State defense bill submitted to DPR

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday submitted to the House of Representatives a new defense bill to replace Law No.20/1982 on National Defense and Security Guidelines.

"With an ongoing reform movement in the country that puts forward democratization, human rights and environment issues, Law No.20/1982 is no longer relevant to the development of the country," Susilo, who is acting Minister of Defense in the absence of Mahfud MD, told the House during a plenary session.

Elements in the new bill are an affirmation of the separation of the National Police from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the elimination of TNI's dual function.

"The draft stresses the function of the National Police as the state's apparatus in security, law and order...it should be separated from the TNI which functions as a state defense apparatus," Susilo explained.

The 28 article bill also defines several categories of threats that should be handled by the TNI; conventional and unconventional threats, both internally and externally, which could damage the country's sovereignty, integrity and safety.

Unconventional threats could take the form of a rebellion, separatist movements, terrorism, illegal migrants, narcotics, illegal fishing, natural disasters, environmental damage and pirates.

While conventional threats are defined as armed attacks in the form of invasion, aggression and limited attacks.

"We clearly underlined that the function of the TNI is just as a state defense apparatus to deal with the mentioned threats against the country," Susilo said.

"To deal with military threats TNI is the basic defense component," he remarked.

The draft also includes the concept of human rights, democracy and the environment as principles ingrained in state defense.

Susilo also pointed out several potential non-military threats, effects of globalization in telecommunications and information, that should also be handled by the TNI and other state agencies.

However, the draft didn't clarify further the form or definition of non-military threats or the mechanism for which other agencies would also deal with any such potential problem.

The minister also cited several problems that need to be further discussed in the House such as the specific name of the bill and the position of the TNI Chief in the government due to the fact that it has already been mentioned in the People's Consultative Assembly Decree No.7/2000.

"We actually prefer the name of national defense because the term state defense stresses state security aspects that put forward the safety of the government system rather than human security, but the Assembly decree uses the term state defense," Susilo said.

"We also agreed to place the TNI chief under the supervision of the minister of defense because the minister has the authority to make the defense policy while the TNI chief implements the policy, but the Assembly decree clearly states that TNI is under the President," he remarked.

Article 24 (i) stipulates that the State Budget is the main source of finance for all state defense activities.

Separately, the House on Thursday also held the second round of discussions with National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro on the National Police bill.

"All factions support the separation of the National Police from the TNI and the draft should be discussed as soon as possible to give a legal base for the police after the separation," Bimantoro said of the 45 article bill after the hearing.(dja)