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.