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Commentary: TNI chief's maneuvers: From controversy to reality
Why focus on Gen. Gatot among other news and headline makers?
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A succession of controversial incidents, events and issues have made media headlines within the past few weeks leading to disquiet among the public. Among others is various remarks by the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo. (Antara/Wahyu Putro A)
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succession of controversial incidents, events and issues have made media headlines within the past few weeks leading to disquiet among the public.
They include the continuing saga of the House of Representatives’ inquiry into the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the protests that turned violent against a seminar on the failed coup of 1965 and various remarks by the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.
We have yet to identify whether all these incidents, events and issues are interrelated, as they have emerged one after the other.
Unresolved issues were buried in the media as the different headlines came one after the other — people are left wondering whether this was a deliberate attempt to divert public attention, or a media attempt to avoid focusing on one sensitive topic, to avoid jeopardizing stability.
Among the controversies, however, the remarks by Gen. Gatot, the TNI commander, have drawn the most attention.
Previously Gatot appeared to be in support of and came to the defense of mass gatherings — and mass prayers — by Muslims in Jakarta last year and earlier this year, despite several accusations that those gatherings were being used as a precursor to a coup attempt against the presidency of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
He has also made headlines following his circular within the TNI for mandatory screenings of the film Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (The Treachery of G30/S PKI) and for his statement on the urgency for the public to also watch the propaganda movie produced by the New Order regime.
