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Bolstering TNI readiness, cooperation for disaster relief
JP/Ruslan SangadjiDuring the dry season this year, forest and land fires have taken a heavy toll on Kalimantan and Sumatra
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JP/Ruslan Sangadji
During the dry season this year, forest and land fires have taken a heavy toll on Kalimantan and Sumatra. Apart from being located in the Ring of Fire, Indonesia is prone to man-made disasters owing to its vast peatland. In an effort to quell fires that cover more than 328,720 hectares, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has deployed a 9,072-personnel-strong task force, including forest firefighters, military, police and local volunteers.
Today, countries are increasingly contributing military assets to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). While the role of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in peace support operations is not new, its engagement in disaster relief activities has grown since the mid-2000s. Following the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, domestic and international military actors mounted a huge humanitarian airlift.
Military resources were also used in response to the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake and after the 2010 Wasior floods in Papua. Throughout 2018, the TNI supported relief missions in the aftermaths of the Lombok earthquake, the earthquake and tsunami in Palu and Donggala in Central Sulawesi and the Sunda Strait earthquake and tsunami last December.
Two key factors have led to the military’s growing interest in HADR. First, assisting relief efforts can improve its image and provide a way for the armed forces to diversify their role at a time of defense budget cuts. Second, with an increase in natural disasters, the military’s role is likely to expand, particularly in response to large-scale disasters, where the capacity of civilian agencies may be overstretched.
Despite a relatively low possibility of high-intensity conflict in Southeast Asia, Indonesia still needs adequate military readiness to anticipate times of crisis. International experts such as David Alexander and Alan Chong acknowledge that earthquakes and tsunamis can have similar impacts on armed and social conflicts. The increasing number and scale of natural disasters have led to more situations where civilian relief agencies must operate with military forces in the same environment.
Recent experiences have also shown that civilian emergency services are often overwhelmed when major natural disasters strike. According to a 2008 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, “timeliness” is the main reason to employ military assets to gather relief efforts during recovery after catastrophic incidents.
Nevertheless, critics of the military’s involvement in relief activities claim that it is inappropriate, contrary to humanitarian principles and often driven by political imperatives rather than humanitarian need.
Moreover, military equipment is often perceived as a “free good”, despite the fact that its operational costs are usually more expensive than civilian assets.
With the growing involvement of military actors in HADR, the humanitarian community has been mulling ways to engage them more strategically to maximize their potential benefits to the disaster response system and affected populations. Depending on the context, the use of military assets must be appropriate and determined by how relevant capabilities meet the requirements of crisis management. Hence, a needs assessment is needed to ensure relevant resources are provided.
Law No. 34/2004 on the military has made disaster relief an important part of the TNI’s organizational role. “Military operations other than war” involve unique capabilities including manpower, equipment, training and organization necessary to deploy immediate help.
The military can also play a role in disaster prevention. The Indonesian Air Force, for example, incorporates forest fire surveillance into its jetfighter squadron’s routine operation and training in Pekanbaru, Riau.
Based on its 2009-2024 Minimum Essential Force program, Indonesia has been modernizing the military’s hardware. While some new military platforms, primarily in logistics and transportation, unquestionably offer dual-use technologies, HADR missions provide training opportunities and real-time experience for TNI personnel to master the full spectrum of military operations. This way, it optimizes the use of military assets, while maintaining combat readiness.
No less important, effective disaster response depends on how the military’s humanitarian assistance is tailored within larger relief operations. The surprise and devastating nature of natural catastrophes call for a massive coordinated reaction on short notice. Although the military’s readiness is essential in a crisis, it can be undermined by civilian bureaucratic delays.
Coordination between civilian and military actors is one of the greatest challenges in disaster management. During the latest forest and land fires, the head of the BNPB, Lt. Gen. Doni Monardo, complained about the lack of cooperation, particularly between local leaders, the military and police.
The TNI’s operational readiness may also create complacency among civilian relief agencies, resulting in a reluctance to improve their disaster response capabilities. Despite the recurrence of haze hazards, most local forest fire fighting units are unable to operate optimally due to below-standard equipment.
In a nutshell, civil-military cooperation is the key to successful disaster relief. Formulating a cooperative framework between central and local governments — including civilian authorities and the TNI — provides a modality for effective disaster response. In the case of forest and land fires, close coordination with law enforcement agencies is critical to prevent the recurrent man-made disaster. Resolving differences in priorities and operating modes can have significant impacts on information management, which is essential for the success or failure of any relief operations.
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Adhi Priamarizki is visiting fellow in the Indonesia Program, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore. Iis Gindarsah is researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.
