Robert Go, Jakarta – The turf battle between Indonesia's police and the military (TNI) over who should be in charge of Indonesia's domestic security showed signs of flaring again this week.

General Ryamizard Ryacudu, the army's chief of staff, suggested on Thursday that Indonesia's unique situation would require the TNI to take a greater role in "preventing the country from disintegrating".

He told reporters after a meeting of top TNI figures: "We cannot leave domestic issues to just anybody. We are still dealing with disintegration problems."

At the same time, the police leadership is continuing efforts to convince the public that cops alone are up to the task of keeping order within the country and that the TNI should focus on defence.

Speaking before foreign investors on Thursday night, police chief Da'i Bachtiar mentioned falling crime levels, his officers' capacity to deal with demonstrations and other disturbances and their improved abilities.

Such talk from the two branches of Indonesia's security forces underlines the growing resentment that has coloured their relations since the police were spun off officially from the TNI structure two years ago.

Analysts also suggested that the military had not quite accepted the steady erosion of its political and social clout, a process that began with the downfall of former president Suharto, himself a former TNI general.

"There is no question that police and military tensions are at an all-time high," said Ms Sidney Jones, Indonesia project director for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. "At the top levels, it is a battle of opinion about who can best protect Indonesia ... the TNI has not accepted how its role should be limited to external defence."

Police success in the Bali terror case and investigations suggesting the potential involvement of military officers in various wrongdoings – including the shooting of two American teachers in West Papua last August – have reinforced the military's resentment.

The competition has also spilled down into the rank and file, and at that level it involves control over lucrative side businesses.

Mr Marcus Mietzner, a researcher at the Australian National University, said: "The main problem is rivalry of the two institutions over business activities in the region. Both are involved in the drug trade, protection rackets, gambling, prostitution, illegal logging and others." At times, the tensions have translated into violence.

Analysts attributed this partly to the fact that there are no laws delineating their specific roles.