The controversy surrounding weapons procurement by the police, which highlighted the rivalry between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police, was supposed to end when the two forces agreed that “miscommunication” and “overlapping regulations” were to blame.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, via his aide, has further stepped in amid concerns that disharmony between the two forces could harm national security, especially ahead of the regional elections next year.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto held a meeting on Friday at his office involving relevant state officials, including TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu. The meeting was seen as a bid to ease tensions and end the brouhaha following Gatot’s statement suggesting an institution outside the military had sought to import 5,000 illegal firearms and that the police might have planned to purchase antitank weapons.

Gatot’s controversial remarks were immediately followed by the revelation of a shipment of 280 stand-alone grenade launchers (SAGL) and 5,932 rounds of munitions ordered by the National Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) at Soekarno Hatta-International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Speaking after the meeting, Wiranto downplayed the polemics and said the controversy was merely due to overlapping regulations regarding weapons procurement that had resulted in different perceptions between state security institutions that used firearms.

The government has issued since 1948 a number of regulations, including four laws, one regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), one presidential instruction (Inpres), one presidential decree and four ministerial regulations regarding weapons procurement, Wiranto said.

“We will immediately review and synchronize the regulations related to firearm [procurement] and issue a single policy to stop confusion among security institutions,” Wiranto told a press conference.

The National Police previously clarified that the weapons held at the airport were not military firearms and that the shipment
was legal.

The weapons are being held by the airport’s customs and excise authorities pending approval from the military’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), reportedly owing to polemics surrounding the type of munitions.

Wiranto said Gatot would issue recommendation soon for the police to retrieve the weapons.

“[The recommendation] comes with a note that the sharp bullets must be kept at TNI headquarters. So when [Brimob] needs them, there will be a process to retrieve them,” Wiranto said, in a statement that could still trigger further discourse as to whether the police’s procurement was indeed problematic.

However, National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto shrugged off such a suggestion.

He said the police had agreed to let the TNI keep the sharp bullets, adding that relevant officials would soon establish a working committee under Wiranto’s office to formulate a synchronized regulation regarding firearms procurement.

“When the police face high-level threats from armed criminals, we have the right to use weapons as referred to [international] law,” Setyo said, justifying the procurement of the sharp bullets.

Separately, University of Indonesia military observer Connie Rahakundini Bakrie questioned the decision to let Brimob’s sharp ammunition be kept with the TNI.

“Keeping the weapons [at the airport] should have not taken place,” she said, adding that it had fueled tension between the two forces.

According to her, in 2013, the Defense Ministry, the TNI, the National Police and several experts drafted a firearms and explosives bill.

In the draft, Connie said, the police would be allowed to procure military standard firearms under certain circumstances. However, the plan to deliberate the bill has been stalled since 2015.

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