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Jokowi urged to evaluate Bela Negara following FPI training
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Gen (ret.) Sayidiman Soerjohadiprojo (left), Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab (center) and moderator Tarman Azzam talk during a discussion in a symposium titled "Protecting Pancasila from the Threat of the Indonesian Communist Party [PKI] and Other Ideologies" in Jakarta on June 1. (JP/Viriya Paramita Singgih)
T
he Setara Institute urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to evaluate the Bela Negara program following criticisms against Indonesian Military (TNI) in Lebak that gave Bela Negara (State Defense) training to members of the hard-line Islam Defender Front (FPI).
Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said as quoted by Antara news agency on Monday that the program had been running for two years using taxpayer money, but the results had been questionable.
“The immediate step for President Jokowi to take is to evaluate and ask for comprehensive accountability reports from Defense Ministry and the TNI, which run the program,” said Hendardi.
(Read also: Lebak military commander replaced for training FPI)
He said the TNI’s decision to dismiss Lebak military commander Lt. Col. Czi Ubaidillah from his post by Siliwangi military commander Maj. Gen. Herindra was the right decision to remind other units in the TNI to not get involved in politics amid threats against Indonesia’s diversity and controversy against the FPI.
“Although this is a positive step, I still cannot understand how a TNI unit’s program could be carried out without the knowledge of the superiors, considering TNI’s command line, which is the most solid in this republic,” he said.
He said Czi’s dismissal did not guarantee that TNI would be able to detach itself from intolerant groups in the future. (evi)
