Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Political games and low wages have prevented the Indonesian Military (TNI) from achieving full reform, the head of the TNI's information division, Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, said Monday.
Presenting his paper on TNI reform to obtain his doctorate in Sociology from the University of Indonesia, Yani said the two factors were overshadowing efforts the military had taken to distance itself from politics.
He said efforts to reform the military, once heavily involved in politics and used as a vehicle to maintain power by past administrations, depended partly on reform in other parts of society. "When the political condition interferers and drags the TNI back into the game, its commitment is shaken," Yani said.
He said guidelines needed to be formulated by the administration to minimize the TNI's involvement in political decisions. "So it's not just a matter of time. There are external factors preventing the TNI from being fully reformed," he said.
The abolition of the military's duel function after Soeharto's 32-year-long reign in 1998 was the start of the institution's road to reform.
Under its dual function, the military legitimized its multiple roles as both a security and defense force as well as a social-political force, resulting in it being extremely powerful during Soeharto's leadership.
Subsequent efforts for reform included the abolition of the TNI's faction in the House of Representatives, the ongoing overhaul of the military's businesses and the introduction of a rule for active soldiers to resign before entering politics. Such efforts prove the TNI is undergoing gradual internal reform, Yani said.
"As far as achieving a higher level of professionalism is concerned, the TNI is not yet adequately equipped to do so. Higher salaries for TNI soldiers would prevent them from engaging in abusive action just to make ends meet," Yani said.
He said soldiers should be well compensated as part of the government's overhaul of TNI businesses. "The government's plan to raise the minimum wage of soldiers to Rp 3 million (US$330) per month must also move ahead," he said.
Yani said his research found most members of the public still view the TNI as it used to be, and are yet to take into consideration recent internal reform.
"Therefore, we have to publicize the reform process more. It will take time to change the public's perception, but it is social capital that really needs to be established so that the concept of the TNI as part of the public materializes," he said.
Yani's doctorate paper, which was based on research and interviews conducted in 12 cities with regional military commands, was described as "very satisfactory" by the panel of examiners.