TNI 'needs support, not denunciation'

JAKARTA (JP): Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Achmad Sutjipto called on Wednesday for an end to public denunciation of the Indonesian Military (TNI), saying it would uphold its defense mission.

Sutjipto said now that separatist movements in certain provinces had posed a serious threat to the country's sovereignty, TNI should be given more support in order to maintain national unity.

"TNI has been widely criticized and it looks like there is no room to make right the wrong. Under such conditions, TNI and the National Police will be unable to carry out their defense functions," he said.

"With separatist movements being rife, situations will be more dangerous if we are constantly blamed for past mistakes."

Sutjipto was speaking after swearing in Brig. Gen. Hari Triono as new chief of the Marine Corps in place of Maj. Gen. Suharto at Marine Corps Headquarters in Cilandak, South Jakarta. Suharto has been appointed the inspector general at the defense ministry.

The Navy chief conceded that TNI blundered when it deeply involved itself in politics under its dual function principle.

"But we have reformed ourselves and returned to our original mission as a defense force," Sutjipto said.

He said he believed TNI would be able to contain the disintegration threat if it won support from all the Indonesian people.

"Russia is a good example in this case. Its military succeeded in crushing separatist rebel movements in Chechnya because of the people's full support," he said.

He cited a statement by Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono that federalism did not fit an archipelagic country like Indonesia.

"Federalism is not suitable here because Indonesia consists of thousands of small and large islands. If it is adopted, Indonesia will be torn apart," Sutjipto said.

He also said the Marine Corps was now recruiting about 10,000 new personnel to enable it to cover the entire country, spanning from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Irian Jaya.

"The new personnel will posted to three naval bases in Teluk Ratai in Lampung, Jakarta and Surabaya," he said.

The Teluk Ratai base oversees the waters in Indonesia's western area, the Jakarta base oversees the central part and the Surabaya base oversees the eastern part. (rms)