TNI should be given more authority to maintain security

JAKARTA (JP): In an effort to prevent the country from crumbling, the Indonesian Military (TNI) should be given more room to help maintain security nationwide, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Thursday.

Speaking to the press after hosting a closed-door meeting with 95 top Army officers at the Army headquarters, Endriartono admitted that the security authorities have agreed to delegate the security role to the National Police and the defense role to the TNI.

"I believe that every modern country adopts the principle of separated security and defense responsibilities in order to avoid an overlapping while they (police and military) perform their duties.

"But we should also realize that not all parties are ready for change. Such unreadiness should not be defended by sacrificing the bigger interest. We should not read the division of responsibilities as black and white," he said, while stressing that the meeting was held upon the recognition of TNI Chief Adm. Widodo A.S.

Present at the meeting were former Army chief Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, former TNI chief of General Affairs Gen. Fachrul Razi, former Army chief Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, former Chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Djadja Suparman, incumbent TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, former Kostrad Chief Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah and Chief of Army's Education and Training Center Lt. Gen. Amir Sembiring.

Also present were former TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy, incumbent TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, former Assistant for Territorial Affairs to the Army Chief Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi, former Army Special Force (Kopassus) Chief Maj. Gen. Muchdi PR, former TNI Chief of Intelligence Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim and former Kostrad Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kivlan Zen.

In the meeting, the Army officers also vowed to remain united.

"We have agreed that the Army must be solid and united. Army officers, wherever they are assigned, must always maintain solidarity and all their acts should be based on the policies of the Army headquarters," Endriartono said.

The four-star general suggested that state security authorities and the House of Representatives establish "a transitional regulation", which will be valid only for a temporary period of time, stipulating that TNI could be given freedom to conduct its security role.

"The regulation is required as our legal umbrella, so that our soldiers on the field can be proactive in maintaining security," he said.

He said the idea came amid the Army's concern over the security problem in the country.

Earlier this week, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. voiced his concern over the separation of the National Police from the TNI, saying that it could "create a lot of problems".

Mahfud claimed that a decree of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on the separation needed to be reviewed in the next MPR's annual session considering that, among other things, the National Police had a weak intelligence network and that the police were technically underequipped to deal on their own with situations of domestic chaos.

Mahfud's statement was strongly criticized by the police, saying that it was the minister's personal opinion.

Endriartono, however, refused to call the meeting a "reconciliation among Army officers", saying that "there are no factions in the Army". (02)