TNI OKs provinces to copy Riau

TNI OKs provinces to copy Riau

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
revealed on Wednesday that he had urged local administrations to
purchase patrol boats to support the Navy in securing the
country's territorial waters.

"I have urged local administrations to do as much as possible
to purchase patrol boats to assist the Navy in securing our
waters.

"This is because our Navy lacks the equipment we need to guard
our maritime territory," Endriartono said during a hearing with
the House of Representatives's Commission I for political,
security and foreign affairs.

Endriartono said the country's sea territory was prone to
timber smuggling and poaching.

The four-star general said the military would not give special
security treatment to provinces that bought patrol boats for the
Navy.

Endriartono's admission came days after the Ministry of Home
Affairs said it was investigating a deal between the Riau
administration and the Navy's Western Fleet for the purchase of a
patrol boat. Patrol boats of this class are produced by PT
Pelindo in Tanjung Pinang, Lampung.

Under the deal, the Riau provincial government is to buy a
patrol boat to be operated by the Navy to secure the country's
territorial waters.

Bangka Belitung province said on Tuesday that it would follow
in the footsteps of Riau in buying a patrol boat.

An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs said early this
week that the ministry would not hesitate to nullify any deals
that violated the prevailing laws, particularly the regional
autonomy law.

The regional autonomy law stipulates that local
administrations should channel their assistance through the
central government if they want to help the TNI.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the move violated
article 7 of the Regional Autonomy Law No. 22/1999, which
stipulates that security affairs are solely the responsibility of
the central government, and that regional administrations have to
channel their donations to the military through the central
government.

The Navy, however, said that no strings were attached to the
purchase of the patrol boat.

Legislators Amris Hassan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Astrid Susanto of the National
Awakening Party (PKB) supported the policy, saying the country
had so far failed to allocate a big enough budget to the
military, despite the increasing burdens being placed on it.

"As long as the TNI chief is aware of the deals, the military
should be allowed to accept boats from local administrations for
the use of the Navy," Amris said.

"The responsibility for guarding the country's borders is not
that of the military alone. We civilians are also responsible,"
Astrid said.

The country loses up to US$3 billion as a result of widespread
poaching every day.

The Navy currently has 117 ships, but only 30 percent are
seaworthy.

"The military did not ask for the warships. Of course, such
boats will not have to be registered as warships," Endriartono
said.

The TNI has repeatedly complained about a lack of equipment
and spare parts, especially after the US imposed military embargo
in 1999.

Responding to the complaints, the government decided recently
to purchase four Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters despite
mounting protests from legislators.

Endriartono also said on Wednesday that the Air Force was
planning to have a squadron of Sukhoi jet fighters -- comprising
ten SU-27 SKs and two SU-30 MKs -- in service by 2005 and hoped
that the House would approve funding for this.