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View point: From 'Johnny English' to forgetful old guards
The famed M16 spy Johnny English, better known as Mr
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The famed M16 spy Johnny English, better known as Mr. Bean, foiled an attempt of a wily Frenchman aiming to take over Britain ' to turn it into a highly lucrative penal colony, catering to countries which would gladly be freed of the hassle of taking care of prisoners.
This 2011 comedy came to mind with the plan that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would be entrusted to safeguard prisons, following the latest escapade of 10 detainees from what turned out to be the very low-security jail of the national antidrug body in East Jakarta.
Of course the TNI is undoubtedly patriotic, unlike the above French businessman. But authorities seem to be nodding at almost every proposal to keep soldiers busy and content during peacetime. Lax prison security has mostly been related to corruption, though we do lack wardens, as Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly said after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with TNI commander Gen. Moeldoko on April 2.
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the ministry had agreed to deploy Muslim scholars to help soldiers educate villagers on the dangers of extremist movements, as part of the TNI's community service program.
In signing off on new 'operations other than war', commander-in-chief President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo needs to avoid backtracking on earlier commitments to end the dwi fungsi (dual function) of the military comprising defense and non-defense roles.
Moeldoko himself has stressed the TNI should not be drawn into politics; but that the TNI's 'social responsibility' is inevitable. Further, since reformasi 'we found that people tended to seek the assistance of the TNI. This is weird,' he told The Jakarta Post. 'To be honest, we want civil society to be strong in the future.'
Indeed, since the end of the New Order, civilian politicians sought to recruit military figures to make their political parties more appealing. The military would reiterate its neutrality every election time, saying retired officers were free to join any party.
But what are the limits of 'social' responsibility? For instance, soldiers helping to 'educate villagers' risks returning them to the dwi fungsi that comprised ipoleksosbud (ideological, political, economic, social and cultural matters).
Retired officers and experts have indeed fretted over what to do with the military today, since they are no longer entitled to lord over everything everywhere as in the past. Unsurprisingly they became cocksure ' sporadic brawls, torture and shooting of civilians stem from this legacy.
So when the TNI's role was trimmed to defense, its elders would occasionally remind us ' especially when the police were letting us down ' that the military was born out of the people's struggle against colonialism. However, they had far outlived the people's love with all that abuse of power ' not even paying their bus fares.
Nevertheless, police operations against suspected terrorists, and the safeguarding of elections without soldiers intimidating civilians, for instance, have given us a feel of society with a professional military and police force despite all the flaws.
The past was not a military dictatorship but it was a rather dumb time ' with people voluntarily and merrily parroting Soeharto's high priests, apart from doing so out of fear.
Rules on what's right and wrong were more holy than the Ten Commandments and the Constitution combined, with men in fatigues and boots doing everything from 'accompanying' family planning officials to people's homes to 'guarding' residents painting all trees in the ruling party's color ' along with pesky neighbors, teachers, family and friends ready to fix any 'incorrect views'.
That's why we need President Jokowi's administration to remain cautious of what the military can and cannot do. So yes, they perform excellently in search and rescue operations as in the AirAsia disaster. They have started to help build villages in border areas to prevent more areas becoming Malaysia's territory.
The TNI has been welcomed to help watch over rice price operations and boost rice production.
The military is savvy enough, particularly with the rise of young professionals, to avoid resuming its status as the much resented official bully ' the National Police are taking over that role.
But maybe military and civilian leaders are conveniently forgetting past commitments when it comes to their love of country. After all, the first 'operations other than war' in the TNI Law include overcoming 'armed separatists' and 'terrorist acts'.
These phrases are much more recognized language to the TNI and politicians of the old guard and civilians alike, than terms like 'civilian supremacy' ' even though the law is more than a decade old, and despite its condition that such operations are subject to state policy.
Maybe Gen. Moeldoko is betting that few see the small print. He drew ire from the national rights body when he said the TNI would shoot on site suspected terrorists in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
To the alarm of Acehnese, who have only returned to some normalcy since a decade of peace, the TNI also said it would investigate the recent murder of soldiers in North Aceh, though this is clearly the job of the police.
The TNI Law clearly says the military can 'help' the police or local administration. We just need to make sure military leaders and authorities willing to please them are not short of memory and long on excuses for letting go of the dwi fungsi.
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The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post
