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strong>May 1, P1

A string of criminal acts committed by members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in the first four months of 2013 have raised concerns over the deteriorating level of discipline in the armed forces.

The arrest of Semarang Naval Base commander Col. Anter Setiabudi by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in Semarang, Central Java, on drug charges is the latest of many scandals to hit the TNI.

The most recent incident comes at a time when the military is trying to regain public trust after the murder of four inmates by 11 Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) commandos in Yogyakarta and attacks on the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) headquarters by a group of TNI soldiers in Jakarta.

TNI commander Adm. Agus Suhartono admitted that training and supervision of military personnel should be improved.

Your comments:

Former TNI commander Gen. (ret.) Endriartono Sutarto must have misunderstood the reality of what he called the 'eradication of TNI business at the beginning of the reformation era' as, in truth, most TNI businesses are alive and kicking, while the TNI's political influence has never been stronger.

Just look at the current President of the republic and the forerunners for that position in 2014.

The reality is that the TNI is a law unto itself and is not answerable to anybody but the TNI and money.

Henry Manoe

Why should the military be any better than the police, judges, politicians etc.? They see examples around them every day; many want to make an extra buck, have a car or a second wife. Consider it a national sport; it starts at the top.

Punishment is limited here in Indonesia as everyone is afraid someone might become a whistle-blower.

Peter Verduin

Obviously, they are trying to escape from reality! As for the rest of it, in the immortal words of Field Marshall Sir Bill Slim, 'There is no such thing as bad soldiers, there are only bad generals.'

Colin Anderson

I was not too surprised when I read the above article. When I was a training director, I tried hard to establish the so-called IDP Flying School, which was blessed by former defense minister Yogi Supardi, whose attributes included being healthy, handsome and honest.

The training, which was chaired by the late Air First Marshal Karyoto, lasted for only three intakes. Although the training results were
satisfactory, the allocation of funds was assured by the defense ministry.

I received no praise; neither was I reprimanded, but my 'one star' status, which my two-star superior attempted to have promoted on three occasions, remained the same as the intended promotions came to nothing.

I could have protested and complained to Yogi Supardi, but that was simply not my style.

Air First Marshal Karyoto confided that our style didn't give any personal gain to the established method/habit.

My military rank remained as an Air Force Colonel until my retirement in the middle of 1983; a career that lasted more than three decades and that, until now, I cherish.

I firmly believe that institutional longevity has much to do with 'easy come, easy go with all the taboos'.

Adikoesoemo
Jakarta