Jakarta – Marching is nothing unusual for members of the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI), but the activity took on a new meaning Friday.
Given the tension that has been brewing between the TNI and the police over the bill on national security, the public could be forgiven for thinking that when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gathered over 1,000 soldiers and police officers for a walk, it must have been an effort at reconciliation.
High-ranking officers including National Police chief Gen. Sutanto, TNI commander Air Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto and chiefs of the three military branches took part in the program, which kicked off early Friday morning in Cibubur, East Jakarta.
To lend more credibility to the exercise, Vice President Jusuf Kalla was also in attendance, rubbing shoulders with a number of senior ministers including Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sutjipto, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf.
The latter two have been at the center of the storm during the controversy over the national security bill.
The bill, being prepared by the Defense Ministry, has met with protests from the police, who say it runs counter to the reform agenda. The police oppose the bill because it would give authority to the military to deal with national security. The bill also places the police under the Home Ministry, in the same way the military is under the Defense Ministry.
House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono has warned the police and military to stop quarreling as the rift could lead to clashes between soldiers and police officers in the field.
Highlighting tensions between the two bodies, soldiers and police officers exchanged fire early last week in Puncak Jaya, Papua, killing one police officer.
Speaking after the marching program, Sutanto denied that the event was held to help reconcile the military and police.
"There is no such thing as reconciliation. This kind of program has become a regular program for us, actually. As for high-ranking officers we frequently play golf and tennis," Sutanto said. Djoko denied there was a hidden agenda behind the event.
The event had actually been planned for some time by the National Police Headquarters. The TNI Headquarters also denied suggestions that the activity was politically motivated.
"The Cibubur program was part of the TNI and police commitment to maintaining togetherness, which is very important for us," TNI spokesman Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki was quoted by Antara as saying.