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.