TNI to step up security in Papua, Aceh

TNI to step up security in Papua, Aceh

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

Leaders of the Indonesian military (TNI) have agreed to pay more
attention to sea security and secessionist movements in Papua and
Aceh provinces in 2003.

"Separatism remains our concern this year, particularly in
Aceh and Papua," TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Syamsoeddin told
a press conference marking the end of a two-day military leaders'
meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Sjafrie, however, fell short of explaining the new security
measures that could be introduced in Papua and Aceh, saying only
that the military would follow government policies on separatism
issues in both provinces.

"The military will not deploy more troops in both conflict-
torn provinces," he said, but added that the military would
increase the salary of the troops currently serving a tour of
duty in those areas.

This year, the TNI will also focus on the defense of
Indonesia's water territory by increasing the Navy's budget
allocation.

According to Sjafrie, the country's Navy would receive Rp 700
billion, or Rp 100 billion more than received by the Army and the
Air Force, in a bid to improve its performance to guard the
national territory from growing threats such as illegal logging,
poaching and people smuggling.

"The improvement of military professionalism must be in line
with equipment improvement," he said.

Sjafrie said the budget allocation would be used to purchase
several patrol ships as most of the Navy's ships are not
seaworthy. He did not specify further, but added that the Navy
was currently negotiating with a "local producer".

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

The Army and Air Force would buy new helicopters this year,
Sjafrie also said without elaborating.

The government slightly increased the budget for the TNI to Rp
13.9 trillion. Last year, it got Rp 11 trillion. However, TNI's
budget was heavily burdened by soldiers' salaries. The TNI
headquarters allocated Rp 11.5 trillion in wages alone.

The military usually allocates more for the Army. Earlier this
year, the Ministry of Defense said that it would release a white
paper on defense strategy that would give a greater role to the
Army to handle security disturbances and internal threats over
the next decade.

However, analysts have said that the government should build
up the Air Force and Navy instead as TNI's main role is to deal
with external security threats mandated by the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree No. VII/2000, under which the
TNI surrendered most of the domestic security affairs to the
National Police.

Currently, Indonesia has some 297,000 active military members
with 400,000 reserves. The Army has 230,000 members, the Air
Force 27,000 members and the Navy 40,000.

The meeting was attended by several state officials, including
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno, Coordinating Minister of Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Defense
Matori Abdul Jalil and Minister of Finance Boediono, who
presented their recommendations to the military, Sjafrie said

Unlike last year, the military chief would not officially
report this year's programs to the president, Sjafrie said.