Ryacudu’s statement reflection that TNI doesn’t want to be corrected

Detik.com – January 6, 2004
Army Chief of Staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu pictured right (kebumenypkp65)
Army Chief of Staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu pictured right (kebumenypkp65)

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – According to the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the statement by army chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu that there 60,000 foreign agents in Indonesia is nothing new. However this statement reflects an anxiety and unwillingness on the part of the military to be corrected.

“The unwillingness to be monitored is also a consequence of the implications of applying various policies of violence” said Kontras coordinator Usman Hamid to reporters at his office on Jl. Cisadane in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday January 6.

Hamid was of the view that it was incorrect for the army chief to make such a statement. This is because the one who should be speaking on such matters should be a state officials from the ministry of defense or the president. Hamid made the assessment that Ryacudu’s statement is closely linked with the aim of helping politicians from the old era [of former President Suharto’s New Order regime] to win the 2004 general elections.

According to Hamid, it is clear that this statement is aimed at non-government organisations (NGOs) or elements in civil society who has criticised government policies on the military’s security approach, particularly [as it has been applied] in Aceh and West Papua. Kontras however, as an NGO which has often been accused of being foreign [agents], will not be making any charges.

“[I want to make it] clear that Kontras will not be making any charges because the statement is not a big issue. In the past we have often been accused of being foreign agents or anti-democratic. This is a just problem of paradigm. The military still sees [civil] society as a threat”, said Hamid accusingly.

Hamid also took the opportunity to express his disappointment with the civilian political authorities who felt no crime had been committed when the military announced that 340 people have been killed in Aceh. “[This means that they] are not asking for responsibility to be taken by the military”, said Hamid accusingly. (gtp)

[Translated by James Balowski.]