Jakarta – Representatives of about 20 non-government organizations yesterday visited parliament to convey their disgust with legislators for failing to terminate the militarys hallowed role in politics.
One of the draft constitutional amendments being discussed by the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) allows military and police personnel to maintain the positions allocated to them in parliament.
The NGOs slammed the MPR Ad Hoc Committee I, which had been given almost one year to draft constitutional changes, for ignoring one of the most serious demands of the reform movement: get the military out of politics forever.
The draft amendment of Article 2 of the 1945 Constitution states that members of the MPR can come from the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and National Police.
Among the NGOs at parliament yesterday were: the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), and Institute of Studies and Peoples Advocacy (Elsam).
PBHI Executive Director Hendardi said that if the MPR maintains the militarys so-called dual function, it will be a serious betrayal the national reform movement.
If the MPR passes Article 2 [on transitional rule], it will be the first time ever in Indonesian history that political power has been given to a party which has a monopoly on instruments of violence. [Such legislation] was not even seen during the New Order regime, he said.
Hendardi said that officially granting political power to the military will cause problems in the management of the state, because violence and repression will be sanctioned for the sake of certain political interests, as took place in the past.
TNI and the police are under the responsibility of the president. Therefore, they must not be given political power, such as positions in the MPR, which is the institution tasked to determine the presidents accountability. He warned that if the MPR endorses the article, it will be the first nail in the coffin for the democratization process in Indonesia.
In a joint statement, the NGOs said the draft amendments had been prepared by only a small group of MPR legislators who ignored the peoples aspiration to live in a country where the military is not involved in politics. I see the MPR is only serious about trying to protect its own interests, not the peoples. Therefore, it has not fulfilled the principles of transparency, democracy, peoples sovereignty, and a country which upholds the law, said Walhi Executive Director Emmy Hafild.
We are concerned by the draft of Article 2 on transitional rule, which gives TNI and police a chance to remain in parliament, said Hafild. She also lashed out at the draft constitutional amendments dealing with human rights, because nowhere is it stated that the authorities are obliged to protect the human rights of civilians.
Hafild lamented that the big parties are reluctant to approve popular demands for direct presidential elections. It would be better if the approval of the amendments is delayed, so there will be time for MPR members to revise them, she added.
Hendardi said the inclusion of military and police in parliament will become the main stumbling block for upholding human rights, because the military will have a powerful bargaining position with the government.
By having the authority to assess the presidents accountability, the military and the police will have the political bargaining power to [oppose] the governments policies on human rights protection. As institutions that are supplied with munitions, TNI and the police have the permanent potential to commit human rights abuses.