President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should make respect for human rights a priority criterion when selecting the next Indonesian Military (TNI) chief to replace Gen. Moeldoko, who will retire soon, a human rights activist said on Thursday.

'€œOne of the qualifications [for the new TNI chief) is upholding and defending human rights,'€ the program director of human rights NGO Imparsial, Al Araf, said as quoted by tempo.co.

He went on to say that the TNI had been long associated with human rights violations and accused of disregarding human rights. Therefore, the new chief should work to repair the military'€™s tarnished image, he added.

Moeldoko reaches retirement age on Aug. 1.

Al Araf also urged Jokowi to choose a new commander who supported TNI reform, including the commitment to reform the military court.

'€œThe new commander should obey civilian authority and uphold civilian law,'€ he said.

According to regulations, candidates for the top TNI post should be flag officers who have held the position of chief of staff in one of TNI's three forces. Currently, the officers are Army chief of staff Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi and Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Agus Supriatna.

Since the end of the New Order era, the TNI chief post has been rotated in an Army-Navy-Army-Air Force pattern. If the rotation pattern is adhered to, Agus Supriatna's would be next to assume the TNI chief post.

During the New Order era, Army generals dominated the top post of the then Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI), which constituted the three services of TNI and the National Police. (fsu/nvn)

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