Transparency will be instituted in defense ministry
Transparency will be instituted in defense ministry
Professionalism and internal reforms of the Indonesian Military (TNI) have been one of the main topics of discussion in the country since the downfall of Soeharto in 1998. Newly inducted Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono talked to The Jakarta Post's Tiarma Siboro and Imanuddin Razak on the issue on Wednesday. The following is an excerpt of the interview.
Question: Within the first 100 days of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) administration, what are the top priority or crucial agenda that you or the Ministry of Defense has set to tackle first? Answer: There are two main points. First, we'll establish a regulation on the redefinition of authority between the Ministry of Defense and the TNI Headquarters in accordance with Law No. 34/2004 on defense that was enacted on Oct. 16, 2004. As part of the agenda, I will have a meeting with the TNI chief, the chiefs of staff of the three TNI forces and the TNI chief of general affairs later this afternoon. Second, we'll establish good governance in the defense ministry by imposing transparency, accountability and efficiency, especially on the acquisition of defense equipment by each force.
In connection with military reforms, will there be any shifting of authority between the defense ministry and TNI Headquarters?
Under the prevailing laws -- the law on defense and the law on the TNI -- the authority of civilian supremacy was achieved when SBY was elected president after he was nominated through a political party, as what the Thais experienced with the election of Chatichai Choonhavan and the Filipinos with Fidel Ramos some 10 years ago. Under the current presidential system, the president has direct command of the TNI and the Ministry of Defense. So, there are two different authorities. In the future, it is expected that integration of the TNI Headquarters into the defense ministry could be materialized, depending on the laws on the TNI and defense. But it should be part and parcel of the integration of the police into the home ministry.
An embargo has been slapped on Indonesia by the United States concerning the purchase of military equipment. What is your plan to restore good military-to-military relations in the future?
I plan to visit the U.S. next year to tell Congress, non- government organizations and human rights organizations of the importance of helping Indonesia in defense matters, especially the Indonesian Army as it has been put under the spotlight due to excesses in the implementation of the TNI's territorial function in the past. I will tell them that the Army remains an important element for democratization in Indonesia as in my opinion, civilian forces, mainly political parties, are still in a mess. I will tell our friends in America that on paper, we have achieved democracy and civilian supremacy, though in practice we admit there still some civilian weaknesses, mainly on civil governance. In my opinion, an appropriate territorial role of the Army is still needed.
What do you mean by appropriate territorial role?
In this case, such a role should be maintained until civilians are really self-governing and political parties can function as the pillar of democracy. While observing the internal bickering in the House of Representatives over leadership posts, there are thoughts of restoring the TNI faction in the House. A month ago, Indonesia was praised worldwide for its peaceful elections, but political parties have gained a bad image in the past two weeks as they boycott and condemn each other.
What's your opinion on TNI officers being involved in business in connection with improving TNI's professionalism?
Roughly, we need Rp 46 trillion (US$5.06 billion) per year if we want to build a decent professional force, but in reality the TNI only gets Rp 18.21 trillion per year, so forget about achieving an ideal budget. Regarding military-owned firms, cooperatives and foundations, such practices have been carried out by the military forces since the 1950s as the government never provided a large enough budget for security and defense affairs due to limited funds. Now, I'd like to rearrange and convert all the military's foundations, cooperatives and firms into military-owned state firms as practiced in China, Thailand, India and Pakistan, where the state budget for the military is supported by lawful funds obtained from military-owned state firms.
On the TNI leadership, there was an idea of rotating the leadership among the three forces. What is your opinion?
The law on defense stipulates that "it may be rotated", but it is not compulsory. It therefore depends on the President to decide whether to rotate the leadership or not. That was the compromise agreed upon in the law on defense. But in my opinion, only someone from the Army, which is politically adapted for the TNI leadership, would be suitable, unless there is a politically sensitive Navy or Air Force chief of staff who is capable to do the job.
What's your opinion about the human rights abuse allegation made by Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch against the TNI?
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are part of "the industry for mankind", which always look for mistakes or loopholes in various incidents, not only in Indonesia, but also in other parts of the world. We acknowledge all the past rights abuses, but they were not systematic and intentionally carried out. I will not apologize for the past mistakes when I visit the U.S. next year, but will tell them that the abuse happened because the state (Indonesia) abused the troops by sending them to conflict-prone areas without proper equipment and preparation. Second, we've prosecuted those responsible for the abuse. The verdicts are not perfect, but they are the results of prevailing laws and regulations.
How long will it take for complete reform in the TNI?
It must be done gradually and is expected to be completed 10 years after the 1998 reform movement began. It could be done faster, but it depends on our civilian friends, mainly the big- five political parties, to straighten out the system. My military friends say that they would bow under civilian supremacy only when civilians are of supreme quality.
About the U.S. war against terror?
All arrests of Indonesian suspects must be carried out by Indonesian police, upon the initiative of the Indonesian government, and not that of the U.S. government. And the suspects should also be tried in Indonesia, not abroad.
Can you tell us the process till you get the Cabinet post?
I received an SMS (short messaging service) from Pak Widodo (now coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs Widodo AS) telling me that I would be offered the post of defense minister. And I told Pak Widodo that I would agree to become the defense minister only if he was the coordinating minister. It was Sept. 15, 2004.