TNI backs down due to criticism over controversial bill
TNI backs down due to criticism over controversial bill
Tiarma Siboro and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) showed signs of backing down from
their demands on Wednesday when Minister of Defense Matori Abdul
Djalil promised to revise the controversial military bill.
Briefing the press before a limited cabinet meeting involving
ministers for political and security affairs, Matori said the
military bill should not contradict Defense Law No. 3/2002 and
the spirit of reform.
"The military draft bill is supposed to be integrated with the
State Defense Law, which should serve as a general guideline for
TNI. Of course, we accept the draft made by TNI headquarters as
an input...but it is not the final draft.
"I have set up a team in my ministry to synchronize several
articles in the draft, including Article 19, after determining
whether or not they contradict the defense law and the spirit of
reform," Matori said.
The meeting was chaired by Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and attended by,
among others, home affairs minister Hari Sabarno and TNI chief
Gen. Endriartono Sutarto.
TNI has come under intense criticism in the past few weeks
following the revelation of a military bill that would empower
the military to declare a state of emergency and to deploy troops
to conflict-torn areas without prior approval from the president.
The bill, if approved, conflicts with various legislations in
the country, including the 1945 Constitution, the 1959 Emergency
Law, and Law No. 3/2002 on state defense, which clearly
stipulates that the president, as the Supreme Commander of the
Indonesian Military, has the authority and responsibility to
deploy TNI personnel, after securing approval from the House of
Representatives.
Meanwhile, Endriartono said Wednesday that he never had any
intention to launch a coup against a legitimate government if the
draft was approved.
He admitted that the controversial Article 19 of the draft
bill was inserted by TNI headquarters as an attempt "to provide a
legal basis for TNI commanders to take immediate action in the
event that they should face various disturbances.
"I never thought about launching a coup against the government
when I allowed the insertion of the article. My thought was
simple, that I didn't want my soldiers to face charges of
negligence due to their failure in taking the steps necessary to
curb various security disturbances.
"I'll no longer hold my position as TNI chief...I'm counting
my days now...it could be within a month, two months or five
months, but I will soon be replaced by my junior and I don't want
them facing charges of negligence," Endriartono said.
"But it is just only a draft that we can change at anytime,"
Endriartono added.
On a separate occasion, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard
Ryamcudu responded strongly against the civilian critics on the
bill draft.
"A military coup d'etat has never been heard of in the history
of the Indonesian Military, and it never crossed my mind... A law
is not needed for that, a coup d'etat could be incited by anyone
at anytime," he said.
"Only those with dirty minds could have come up with such a
thought," Ryamizard said after installing new Jakarta Military
Commander Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso.