Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) chief General Endriartono Sutarto says that placing TNI headquarters under the department of defense requires maturity on the part of the minister of defense in order that the TNI not be used as a tool of power. In the current period of a transition towards democracy, Sutarto is asking that the proposal to place the TNI under the ministry of defense not be rushed into.
“We are in a period of transition, a period where we are aware that our political life is not yet mature enough under the democracy we have. Don’t let our process of democratisation be destroyed just because of a desire to envisage an ideal arrangement, while in fact we are not backed up by ideal conditions”, said Sutarto after attending a special cabinet meeting at the presidential offices at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday November 8.
Sutarto raised the issue when asked about TNI headquarters’ preparations on imminent plans by Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono to place the TNI under the department of defense. According to Sutarto, TNI headquarters and the department of defense are only just at the stage of having discussions on bringing the department and the TNI under one roof.
“During a meeting with the minister of defense last week I said that when the department of defense has talked about defense issues [people] see it as if they are talking about the issues of the TNI. In fact the TNI is only a small component of defense. When the department of defense makes a statement about the concept of state defense yeah that’s okay, but [people] shouldn’t [assume] they are talking about the TNI. The TNI is separate. The TNI chief is separate. The TNI is part of defense, true. But defense [matters] are not only about the TNI”, he said.
Civil maturity
In relation to the idea of placing TNI headquarters under the ministry of defense, Sutarto says he has doubts about the maturity of the civilian politician who hold the office of the minister of defense [and concerns over] the involvement of the TNI in the pursuit of political power.
“For the sake of discussion lets say, the post of defense minister is held by a minister who is a member of a particular political party. It could be that the TNI will be politicised and used as a tool in the framework of supporting their political power. Are we ready yet [and certain that] a minister won’t use the TNI as a tool in the framework of [certain] political interests?”, asked Sutarto.
If civilian politicians who hold the post of defense minister are ready and prepared not to use the TNI as a tool for their political interests Sutarto said that TNI headquarters will welcome the realisation of the idea and plan to place the TNI under the department of defense.
“Don’t let the current process [of democratic transition] which has been going so well where the TNI truly want’s to be free from practical politics be completely destroyed just because of a hasty wish to place the TNI under the department of defense. If the minister of defense is not yet mature enough or political life is not yet mature enough to differentiate [the TNI from politics] and if the TNI is used for political interests, then it will destroy everything”, he said.
With regard to the Minister of Defense’s idea to regulate TNI businesses, Sutarto said that there have been absolutely no discussions on the matter. Sutarto declined to respond to questions on the issue because he has heard nothing about the issue nor been informed about the idea of regulating TNI businesses. “Not yet, not yet. The has been absolutely no discussion on the matter”, he said.
Budget problems
Separately, the head of the National Defense Institute (Lemhannas), Ermaya Suradinata, said that although in administrative terms the TNI’s budget is processed through the department of defense, the TNI is not automatically placed under the department.
“Yes it is true that the budget which is brought down is through a process via the department, that is the department of defense. Meanwhile in relation to the issue of how the budget for strategic defense polices is used there is a direct relationship between the TNI chief and the president”, said Suradinata.
Suradinata says that his office will continue to work with legislation which is currently in force, where the position of TNI chief is not under the department of defense.
Furthermore, in relation to the proposal made by department of defence last week, which plans to form a working group to clean up TNI business which at the moment exist in all auxiliaries of the force, Suradinata sees this as a component in the period of transition.
Aceh’s status
With regard to the end of the state of civil emergency in the province of Aceh on November 18 meanwhile, the State Minister for Communication and Information, Sofyan Djalil said separately that a presidential decision on Aceh’s status would be issued soon.
The Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Widodo AS as the head of the National Working Body of the Central Civil Emergency Authority (PDSP) has communicated all of the issues on Aceh to President Yudhoyono.
“All of the options which are to be discussed will take into consideration the conditions on the ground. At the level of policy formulation, I think [the decision] has been made. Before the state of civil emergency ends, the policy will be announced”, said Djalil. (INU/HAR/dwa)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
