Wiranto tells students to uphold democracy
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) expects students to continue to serve as a moral force and help uphold democracy, TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto said during a meeting with some 300 student leaders here on Saturday.
"TNI hopes students continue to play their role as a moral force in upholding reform and democracy," said Wiranto, also the minister of defense and security, during the meeting organized by the Golkar-affiliated Students Group.
He suggested students not get involved in practical politics because it could taint their noble mission.
Wiranto pledged to return the military to its original mission of defense and security. He also said TNI would be proactive in fighting for the nation's interests at the upcoming General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
The military will remain neutral, but will exercise its voting rights to help the country and not any particular political party, he said.
"It is impossible for the military to stay out of or abstain from the General Session of the MPR as many sides have called on the military to do. TNI is part of the nation and has a moral and political obligation to fight for national interests...," he said.
He defined "neutrality" as not getting involved in the maneuvers of the political elite or forming alliances with political parties
"However, being neutral is not identical with abstaining," he said. "The military will not be a part of the nation's problem, but part of its solution."
He also promised the military would continue its reform program in order to improve its image.
Regret
Wiranto regretted the military's past policy of siding with the ruling Golkar Party to support the New Order regime, a policy he said badly tarnished the military's reputation.
"I am very, very sorry and sad that the military took the wrong way and it is very difficult for its present leadership to repair the situation," he said.
He said the military backed Golkar in the latter's effort to win elections and create a strong government under former president Soeharto.
"Therefore, it was not strange at that time for a general to say members of the military were Golkar's cadres, and for all ABRI members, from the lowest to the highest ranks, to be deployed to campaign for the party," he said. ABRI is the acronym for the Armed Forces, which is what the Indonesian Military was called during the New Order regime.
He begged for the people to remain patient if the military's reform appeared to be moving slowly, saying it was impossible to remedy past policies in only a few years.
"We need a long time to gradually repair the corrupt culture and faults which were part of our culture for 32 years," he said.
Regarding Andi M. Ghalib, a lieutenant general in the Army who stepped down as attorney general following charges of corruption, Wiranto said the Military Police would announce the results of its investigation into the case next week.
State Secretary/Minister of Justice Muladi said on Friday the government had no plan to return Ghalib to his job as attorney general.
"Acting Attorney General Ismoedjoko will continue to serve the remainder of (Ghalib's term) for the next two months," he said after attending a plenary session of the House of Representatives. (rms)