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SBY tells TNI to stay away from politics in 2014
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) against meddling in the countryâs politics and advised they remain neutral ahead of next yearâs general elections
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P
resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) against meddling in the country's politics and advised they remain neutral ahead of next year's general elections.
Yudhoyono made the call in his speech delivered during the celebration of the 68th anniversary of the TNI.
'The outcome of [the TNI's] internal reforms must be visible during next year's elections. Please make sure the military's position is in the best interests of the state,' Yudhoyono said in a ceremony at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in Jakarta on Saturday.
Yudhoyono said the TNI's internal reforms, which were introduced in 1998, had already yielded significant results.
'We have completed the TNI's reform agenda. Since 1998, the TNI has been consistent in carrying out its reforms. I thank all of the TNI family for completing the lengthy reforms,' he said.
Yudhoyono also said the outcome of the military's internal reforms had to be implemented in other fields, including in the organizing of the legislative and presidential election.
The President also called on the military to improve its mastery of the modern primary weapons defense system (alutsista), given increasing challenges faced by the TNI, including the growing presence of the US in Southeast Asia.
'To be able to carry out the task, we have to [improve the quality], including by modernizing alutsista, to reach the minimum level of the essential force,' Yudhoyono said, adding it would no longer be difficult for the TNI to improve its weapons following the signing of defense
cooperation agreements with several countries.
In the near future, the Army will receive additional defense equipment including main battle tanks, weapons and helicopters.
Meanwhile, the Air Force will procure 24 new F-16 aircraft, as well as Super Tucanos and T-50s.
As for the Navy, Yudhoyono said it would soon receive corvette warships, destroyers, missile frigates, maritime patrol ships and tactical multi-barrel rockets.
Separately, human rights organization Imparsial criticized the TNI's plan to get involved in the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) fight against graft, following the recruitment of TNI personnel as KPK investigators. Imparsial said that it was a setback in the military's internal reforms.
