TNI loves the people

On the front page of The Jakarta Post, July 26 an article appeared under the heading TNI chief offers apology to the Acehnese people, which was very touching and showed how much the Indonesian Military (TNI) love the people. This is the second time I have read an expression of the TNI's real feelings toward the people.

The first was some sort of a farewell speech made by the chairman of the TNI group in the People's Consultative Assembly when a motion was accepted stating that the presence of the TNI/Police representatives would be cut short from 2000 to 2004. There was no protest or the like but instead the chairman made a very sympathetic farewell speech.

Now a more touching apology was offered by the TNI chief to the Acehnese people for what the chief called the negative impact of the war in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, which has caused suffering to the people. This shows the real kindhearted feelings of the TNI toward the people, although all these are caused by the TNI following orders issued by the legal government for the sake of the nation. Mistakes are made by the TNI, but those are exceptions rather than common behavior.

There are NGOs who are criticizing the TNI, due to hate and jealousy and far from being fair. They suggest that the TNI are psychopaths, ready to kill anybody, or that the biggest trouble makers are the TNI and the Police, not the GAM.

Even the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) are not treating the TNI appropriately. According to them only the TNI and Police are violating human rights but they have never mentioned what the GAM has done, like killing Indonesian marines who were doing their evening prayers.

Now the TNI are trying to win the people's hearts. But frankly, this is a very difficult task, because it is very hard to determine whether the people they meet and see are innocent civilians or disguised rebels.

SOEGIH ARTO Jakarta