Jakarta – Young activists are urged to join forces with the Indonesian Military (TNI) to fight for nationalism as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is considered as too accommodating for foreign interests, a discussion was told Friday.

Haris Rusly from the National Forum for Indonesian Youths (FKPI) said Yudhoyono "do not protect our national interests". He pointed to the dispute over Ambalat maritime territory and the spawn of foreign investments in Indonesia as examples.

"The president is too weak in handling issues related to foreign countries but failed to take actions in cases such as the Century Bank fiasco," he said. Haris said young activists and the younger generation of the military once faced each other prior to the reform era in the 1990s but now he said both sides should unite against practices against nationalist values.

Meanwhile, Permadi of the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra), agreed with Harry.

"The president deliberately weakened TNI at the same time strengthened the police," he said. "He did that because the police is under his direct control."

Permadi said that National Police chief Gen. Bambang Danuri was chosen to the post because Bambang was "easy to control". Permadi said that he would asked his party to struggle for the change of the Police Law.

"I believe that the police should not be under the President control. It should be under the Justice and Human Right Ministry or the Home Ministry. I would ask my party to fight for the change," he said.

The TNI has undergone an internal reform by placing the TNI chief under the supervision of the defense minister to uphold civilian supremacy over the military. The internal reform also saw the military leaving its roles in internal security focusing mainly on defense roles only.

Also speaking at the discussion was former Army chief of staff Tyasno Sudarto.

"The military should not let itself continuously being weakened," he said. "The military should be brave to speak out because it is also part of the society."

Boni Hargens, a political observer from the University of Indonesia, said that he agreed with the strong communication between TNI and young activists. "However, I also believe that there must be civilian supremacy in this country," he said.

Boni believes that TNI could move to be more professional once civilian government manage itself better. "That should be our goal," he said. (mrs)