TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Comments on other issues: Military reemphasizes Soeharto-era practices
Dec
Change Size
D
strong>Dec. 12, p2
Amid growing fear from civil society groups over the determination of Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to restore the military's sociopolitical role of the past, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has continued launching programs that could easily be linked to practices from former president Soeharto's 32-year rule.
The former Army chief has said that he would relaunch several policies to increase nationalistic pride among young people.
He also wanted to involve the military in activities relating directly to community development, including the military's community service, known as TNI Integrated Village Development (TMMD).
Your comments:
History shows that the main reasons that democratic systems of government are overthrown are military-related ' or a military coup. Strong defense is required to prevent or deter conquests, but a strong military can increase the threat of military coup, so a delicate balancing act is required. Consequently, alliances with democratic countries seem to play a crucial role as well as internal constitutional checks on the military.
Shadaan
Can you trust the Army, who have tortured people before? What about what they did to East Timor? They're just trying to collect intelligence and suppress dissent.
Exwn
The military should be used only for work in disaster management. Other development work should be left to the government.
Voicein
How can one be a nationalist if the nation itself can't even stand up for its weak and poor people? Before Indonesia can fix all of the poverty there shall be no nationalism and there is nothing to be proud of. You know when foreigners ask me what's great about Indonesia, I tell them 'It's nice, I like the food there. The people are friendly if you have money'. Really that is all, even Indonesia's landscape is getting really ugly, with all the pollution and industries that don't regulate their practices.
IDC
This sounds frightening. I would hope that President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo would have the brains and enough political power to stop this before it begins. If not, Indonesia is headed for another round of military actions that are aimed at controlling the population through intimidation. The sad thing is that there is a sizable group within the country who actually want to go back to the Soeharto years.
Charles Jarret
I remember a line in the movie The Dirty Dozen: 'Your troops look beautiful, but can they fight?' There is a danger that any organization that tries to do too much ends up doing virtually nothing. If the TNI has so much spare capacity, then there is a good argument to significantly downsize it and place those human resources in other civil agencies that will more likely perform better.
Jagera
I think they're heading that way. I guess the Indonesian military blueprint has not been revised or modernized since the age of Dodo birds. They have never known terminology such as 'military reserves' that are well trained and well educated for a particular military service but live their lives under civil regulation and order.
Fussion B
It should be good for development acceleration and national stability. Poor villages will be quickly identified and developed, and terrorism will be effectively prevented. Good plans should be carried out with good intentions; success will follow. Let's see.
Ali Mukhtar
