TNI needs to follow the times

The reputation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been tarnished by accusations of human rights violations in several troubled areas and during mass demonstrations in the capital. Part of the accusations are true and part exaggerated by the efforts of politicians to weaken TNI and prevent it from making a political comeback. We all know how big the role of TNI was during the New Order and how deep the politicians hatred of TNI was.

In spite of frequent and repeated statements from the TNI leadership that TNI, as part of the reform movement, has made a 180-degree turnaround and has expressed its sincere desire to leave the political arena and concentrate on becoming a professional institution, political suspicion remains and is difficult to erase.

However, people forget that now the rivalry among the politicians themselves is a bigger danger than TNI, and if the political parties continue fighting among themselves for personal gain the whole nation will suffer, including TNI. Will TNI stand there as a passive spectator, doing nothing and letting the unity of Indonesia fall into shambles, not as a result of foreign enemies but the country's own leaders? I am afraid to give an answer to that question. The bickering among the political leaders is becoming worse, and they do not stop at bickering alone, but spend money to create trouble and instigate fights among people who previously lived in peace and harmony with each other. How many people have died because of this?

President Abdurrahman Wahid announced the troublemakers were certain members of the House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly. This allegation is supported by the minister of defense, the prominent politician Matori Abdul Djalil and a very learned man by the name of Prof. Dr. Thamrin Amal Tamagoa.

But the attorney general is quite cautious in this case, saying he asked the President's permission to investigate the legislators based on accusations of corruption, not of political crimes.

To prevent TNI's comeback to the political scene is easy. The political parties should stop fighting each other and concentrate on the well-being of the nation. The civilians must conduct some serious introspection, and, according to TNI territorial chief Gen. Agus Wijaya, TNI should no longer rely on its historic achievements alone, but should take into consideration the changing times and the reform movement of which TNI is part.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta