Army back in the saddle with its
close ties to Mega
Its growing confidence could
delay much-needed military reforms to turn it into a professional
organisation
By Derwin
Pereira
INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT
JAKARTA - The army is back in the
driving seat in Indonesia four years after the fall of Suharto,
flexing its muscles against separatist insurgencies and pulling
the strings in domestic politics.
But as it aspires to return to its
traditional role of 'safeguarding national unity', it risks
putting on the back burner reform initiatives that could turn the
Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) into a professional outfit.
The growing confidence of the army
- the most dominant group in the TNI which also includes the navy
and air force - has much to do with its close relationship with
President Megawati Sukarnoputri who shares the nationalist views
of the generals.
In the past month, two of the most
senior positions in the TNI have gone to army generals - both of
whom are Megawati loyalists.
Lt-General Ryamizard Ryacudu was
promoted to take over the army leadership from General Endriartono
Sutarto, who in turn moved up to the position of TNI commander.
Gen Endriartono's appointment
effectively broke a consensus reached at the start of the reform
era to rotate the top position between the army, navy and air
force.
Under former president Abdurrahman
Wahid, navy commander A. S. Widodo was placed at the TNI helm to
neutralise the army's influence. It was the turn of the air force
next.
But the army leadership effectively
derailed the rotation system to put in place Gen Endriartono.
A three-star general disclosed that
the two appointments were made with the full backing of Ms
Megawati and her husband, Taufik Kiemas, who lobbied behind the
scenes to win parliamentary approval.
'Whatever the public sentiments,
the President realises that a strong army is crucial for her
administration to ride the storm for the next few years,' the
general said.
'She knows that she can count on
Endriartono and Ryamizard to do the job. The risk is that she is
giving the army more room to manoeuvre and call the shots in
politics.'
None of the new faces seem to be
highly supportive of fast or major military reforms.
Nor do they seem keen on revising
the military doctrine of dwifungsi - which acknowledges the TNI's
dual function as a security cum political force.
This is evident in that the
generals are already pushing to delay the army's parliamentary
departure until 2009.
'Most of the ideas for reform come
from the air force and navy but they have no clout compared to the
army which has a line to the palace,' said military analyst
Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies.
'The army generals continue to be
wary but accept civilian supremacy in so far as it protects their
interests.'
Generals Ryamizard and Endriartono
have been quick to take the hardline, pushing for military force
against insurgencies in Aceh and Irian Jaya rather than dialogue.
Said Mr Kusnanto: 'As long as the army continues to behave like
a bully in Indonesia and a big brother to the navy and air force,
we are not going to see any significant changes in the TNI for at
least the next 10 to 15 years.
'If anything, the clock seems to be turning back now.'
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