TNI and political parties

Lately the Indonesian Military (TNI) has come under the spotlight again, with articles appearing in several dailies about its role. Most comments have been negative, some positive and others neutral. The many articles about TNI indicate that TNI is still considered important and a force to be reckoned with.

The TNI could become a strong ally or a powerful enemy of political organizations. Civilians don't know what to do with TNI. What they know is that TNI must not enter the political arena again, because that would take away or minimize their chances of dominating the political arena.

An American professor, Lev, clearly warned Indonesians not to let the TNI play politics again, because it has guns. What a strange way of thinking!

Media Indonesia of Nov. 15, 2000 published an article from the Institute of National Sciences (LIPI), which has conducted research on the relation between TNI and political parties. Surprisingly the conclusion was that many political parties want to be close to TNI. So far the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has the closest relation with TNI. It could be noted that PDI Perjuangan has the biggest number of retired generals as members.

The parties most critical of TNI, according to LIPI, are members of the "axis force", consisting mostly of Islamic parties. This is easy to understand because during the New Order era they suffered most from government policy.

The TNI has admitted it made mistakes, but it is unfair to blame all the mistakes and violations on TNI. There is a saying of "The man behind the gun". The TNI is only a gun and the man behind the gun is of course the past government, or the New Order.

The New Order era is now over and the reform era has stepped in, and with it new visions and concepts have taken over the political, economic and legal fields. So there is a new man behind the gun and the gun can only do what the new man wants the gun to do.

But one thing puzzles me concerning the attitude of civilians. TNI has withdrawn from the political arena. When civilians had the chance to get rid of TNI, strategic positions in the new Cabinet were filled with military people, e.g. the minister of home affairs, minister of transportation and telecommunications and minister of industry and trade. For me this is nothing but a confession of the weakness on the part of the civilians.

I sincerely hope that one day the political leaders will stop thinking of their own parties' benefit, and start to think of the fate of our nation as a whole. There is no need to be suspicious of TNI, because TNI, in its dedication to the country and nation, will only do what is best for the nation.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta