Jakarta – Military analysts say the Indonesian Military (TNI) must get out of politics and business completely to pave the way for a more professional armed forces.
"The success of TNI's reformation can't be separated from the eradication of its members involvement in politics and business," Andi Widjajantoa, program adviser for the Center for Global Civil Society Studies (Pacivis), said during a seminar and book launch here Monday.
The seminar, organized by Pacivis and attended by, among others, military officers and analysts, focused on the past decade of internal military reforms.
Andi warned the government to keep close eyes on the current trend of retired military officers emerging as candidates in the upcoming 2009 elections.
"We can see how slowly the government has been moving in the process of taking over military businesses" he said. "We urge the government to resolve these problems promptly so that TNI reforms toward professionalism and modernization can't be thwarted," he added
Law No. 34/2004 stipulates that professional military officers must not be involved in business or political practices. The law states that members of the military must submit to government policies that empower democracy, civil supremacy and human rights and must abide by national and international laws.
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) military expert Ikrar Nusa Bakti said important progress had been made in efforts to reform the military, but added that much still needed to be done.
"There has actually been some good progress during this past decade of TNI reform, such as removing its members from the House of Representatives and state companies, and the enactment of TNI Law no. 34/2004 which stipulates that TNI members must get out of business and politics," he said.
However, he said, legislation related to TNI's main roles and duties was still lacking, as was an up-to-date guide for the military during non-war operations, such as disaster alleviation. Legislation concerning updating equipment and modernizing the military was also lacking, he added.
"The hindrances to making TNI a small, effective, efficient and professional force lie in the inadequate defense budget, uneducated military personnel and military embargo," Ikrar said.
Center for Security and Defense Studies chairman Koesnadi Kardi said TNI reforms toward professionalism should be executed through the enforcement of existing laws on TNI and civilian supremacy over the military.
"Law enforcement is needed to keep TNI on the right track, while civil supremacy is maintained in the management of the military by the Defense Ministry. The TNI then becomes the executor of the government's defense policies," he said.
Koesnadi added that TNI needed to streamline its ranks in order to use its limited defense budget effectively to improve the quality of its members and to modernize its equipment.
"The future development of TNI can not be done by the institution or its members alone, but depends on civil society too. The two parties must be partners and cooperate to eliminate business and political practices toward a more professional TNI," Ikrar added. (pmf)