Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The appointment of Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso to lead security
restoration operations in the troubled Maluku province points to
clear domination of the military there and a tactful admission by
the Indonesian Military (TNI) that it will not submit to orders
issued by the police or civilians, including Governor Saleh
Latuconsina, a sociologist said on Wednesday.
Thamrin Amal Tomagola of the University of Indonesia said that
Djoko's appointment as commander of the security restoration
operations, aside from heading the Pattimura Regional Military
Command in Maluku, indicated that with skillful engineering, the
TNI had managed to impose martial law by stealth. This followed
the restructuring of security authorities in which the TNI has
been assigned by the Indonesian government to lead the day-to-day
security operations in Maluku.
"TNI wanted to impose martial law but since this was
strongly rejected by the Ambonese public and legislators, they
engineered the situation in such a way that the TNI instead set up
a new security command body ... even if it is a civil emergency
status there, it is in now in effect martial law," Thamrin
told The Jakarta Post over the phone from Bali.
He said that the appointment of a military general to lead the
new security command was in contradiction with the law.
Similarly, human rights activist Munir said on Wednesday that
the formation of a new security command in Maluku, goes against
all existing regulations, including Law No. 23/1959 on the state
of emergency, which clearly stipulates that police are the
front-line authority during a civil emergency status.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno firmly denied on
Wednesday that the government's decision had in turn allowed the
TNI to impose martial law by stealth.
According to MPR Decree No. 7 on the role of the Indonesian
Military and the National Police, the police are in charge of
security, while the military is in charge of defense matters and,
when necessary, will back up the police.
Thamrin, however, doubted that the TNI would comply with the
instructions issued by the Maluku civil emergency authorities.
"The main problem ... that the TNI will not bow before the
governor's orders or instructions, remains. Even though (Army
chief) Gen. Endriartono Sutarto gave his word that TNI will follow
orders issued by Governor Latuconsina, I seriously doubt it. When
a military brigadier general did not follow the governor's orders,
why should a major general do so?" Thamrin asserted.
Thamrin advised that Governor Latuconsina refrain from issuing
orders behind doors in closed meetings with local military and
police chiefs, and should instead make his orders known to the
legislators and the general public.
"This way ... he will not be made a pawn by military or
police chiefs. He instead should lobby for support from
legislators and the general public by first making public all
orders he issues," Thamrin said.
Djoko was appointed on Tuesday to lead the security restoration
operations and head the Pattimura Regional Military Command in
Maluku. He replaced Brig. Gen. Mustopo as the Pattimura Regional
Military Commander, who will be transferred to another post at
Army Headquarters.
Separately, the National Police insisted on Wednesday that the
appointment of a military general did not render the police
"inferior".
"The National Police were involved in the making of this
decision in meetings led by Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. It was a necessary
security measure. The police and the military will try to restore
security in Maluku at any cost and if the command is being led by
a military general ... then the police too are not that inflexible
that they cannot accommodate such a decision," National
Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang told the Post
on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf
added that there was a "50-50 chance" that Maluku Police
chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko would be replaced as well in the coming
days.