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Indonesian
military and police lock horns again
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The
Straits Times
February
22, 2003
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Indonesian military and police lock horns
again
The question of who is
responsible for domestic security arises again with a general
making a case for the army
By 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.
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