The Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrated its 65th anniversary on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. Since its establishment, the TNI has proved to be a central player in political and security affairs.
Despite reformist measures and persistent international pressure, the TNI is still needed and is greatly appreciated for its courageous rescue and evacuation operations when coping with natural disasters.
However, the TNI is not solely intended to serve as a provider of humanitarian assistance. There are many difficult tasks ahead for the TNI as it considers complicated domestic problems and ever-changing external threats to national sovereignty.
As Adm. Agus Suhartono assumes the TNI’s top post, he is expected to manage new challenges and satisfy public demands.
At the top of the TNI’s list of priorities would be reinforcing democracy, which became a national commitment after the downfall of president Soeharto in May 1998.
The to-do list also includes demands for reforms within the military, especially when it comes to sensitive issues associated with many of the TNI’s controversial business operations.
Placing new restrictions on TNI businesses is essential, not only to help the TNI concentrate on its core duties, but also to prevent further accusations of involvement in human rights abuses, crime and corruption.
For years, TNI businesses have been labeled as “a conflict of interest”, and have been on ongoing source for mistrust because they have allowed the military to operate independent of the approved state budget.
Some of the TNI’s most ardent critics believe that reluctance to shut down or liquidate military businesses has perpetuated a criminal cycle of extortion, violence, property seizures and other crimes against civilians.
“The separation of the National Police from the TNI in April 1999 should not prevent the two institutions from cooperating on urgent matters.”
Despite its commitment to remaining neutral in the country’s political arena, it is public knowledge that the TNI is still heavily politicized because many of its key members compete in local and national elections.
Last year more than 100 active military officers registered to compete in regional and legislative elections across the country, even though the law clearly states that they are required to resign
from active duty prior to assuming public office. It will hardly be surprising if more retired generals contest the next presidential election.
It is feared that the involvement of TNI figures in the political arena might lead to internal conflicts
between military members that decide to compete against each other. This could weaken the TNI and compromise their ability to defend the nation.
Another issue in question is the integration of the Army, Navy and Air Force under one command, known as the trimatra terpadu (integrated forces) doctrine. Due to the insufficient state budget for defense, the TNI must be committed to implementing this doctrine in a prudent manner.
For the Army, the doctrine should be directed at achieving better accountability in the procurement of primary defense equipment (Alutsista).
For the Navy and the Air Force, the doctrine might contribute to enhancing technology and developing strategic equality with neighboring countries.
To some degree, the doctrine also needs to encourage cooperation between the TNI and the National Police.
The separation of the National Police from the TNI in April 1999 should not prevent the two institutions from cooperating on urgent matters, such as fighting terrorism.
Given the fact that terrorist threats have reached an alarming level and have expanded beyond state boundaries, the TNI could provide intelligence support to Densus 88, the National Police’s elite counterterrorism unit.
No less important is the need to encourage the growth of the country’s defense industry. Despite the nearly 50 percent increase in the defense budget, from Rp 30 trillion (US$3.36 billion) to Rp 42.5 trillion in 2011, the amount is still deemed to be less than adequate for addressing possible external threats.
Compared to Singapore, for instance, our defense budget is quite low. Singapore seemingly has no pressing external threats, but its 2008 defense budget was Rp 664 trillion.
If Singapore, which is about the same size as Bekasi, has a budget that large, Indonesia should allocate at least the same amount, and probably more.
The TNI is central to fortifying the country’s maritime border and areas vulnerable to separatist movements.
However, border conflicts with Malaysia have led to accusations of military incompetence.
For that purpose, the government needs to develop state firms that provide and maintain military hardware.
It should be a strategic objective over the next five to 10 years to develop the country’s self-sufficiency for purchasing weaponry and military hardware.
Investing more money into building the capacity of state-owned arms manufacturer PT Pindad, for example, might be the best stepping stone.
We must not jeopardize our sovereignty by failing to allocate more funding for the Defense Ministry, which should never be considered a secondary priority.
Happy 65th anniversary, TNI!
The writer is a lecturer at Andalas University, Padang and a graduate of the University of
Canberra, Australia.
