The Jakarta Post, February 19, 2007
Why can't military and police just get along?
Rizal Sukma, Jakarta
I have lost count of how many times members of our security apparatus, the
Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police, have been engaged in embarrassing
clashes. In August last year, a fight between the two forces in Musi Rawas district,
South Sumatra, left a soldier and a police officer dead.
In December, a TNI soldier died in a brawl with police personnel in Atambua, East
Nusa Tenggara province. The latest incident took place last week in Papua, when a
group of seven members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade attacked a military
station in Mulia, Puncak Jaya district.
We should not overlook the implications of these fights. TNI and National Police
personnel are expected to function as state instruments in providing national security
to the whole nation. The TNI functions as an instrument of (external) defense. The
National Police maintains public safety and internal security. So, when their members
begin to fight, and in some cases even kill each other, this nation clearly has a
serious problem.
What is wrong with our security apparatus? The explanations offered by both TNI and
police leaders often sound dismissive, if not trivial. The explanation usually begins
with the pledge to deliver a "thorough investigation" and take action to "discipline"
those responsible. This is then followed by the promise that appropriate measures will
be taken to ensure that such incidents will not reoccur in the future. Almost in the
same breath, however, they also quickly add that such brawls occur because the
security personnel involved are generally young men.
To back up such observations, the explanations are often supported by the fact that
the brawls are often triggered by "misunderstandings" over trivial matters. They are
also caused by the lack of coordination and communication between the two forces at
lower levels on the chain of command. We are also often told that they are nothing to
worry about because there is a mechanism in place to deal with the matter. In other
words, there is a tendency to play down the severity of the problem, among both TNI
and National Police leaders.
A much more interesting and frank explanation, however, was given by Maj. Gen. (ret)
Sjamsu Djalal, former commander of Military Police, back in October 2002. He
admitted that the clashes between TNI and National Police personnel were often
caused by the competition between the two in providing security protection for
"partners" (Kompas, October 12, 2002). Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono
seemed to confirm this when he commented that one reason behind the clash in
Atambua was the problem of welfare. In other words, both police and TNI personnel
are forced to moonlight in order to survive.
That is the sad reality this nation needs to reflect upon. This nation asks these young
men in uniform to protect both Indonesian citizens and the Indonesian state from any
threats. Yet they have no sufficient means of protecting themselves from the threat of
economic insecurity. Indeed, it is both a national and international "secret" that our
security personnel are under-paid and under-equipped.
However, the problem is in fact much more complex than just the lack of welfare for
security personnel. Is it really a lack of funds that causes police officers and soldiers
to get involved in fights? A deeper look at the issue reveals a more serious problem
than just the question of welfare.
For one, the brawls clearly demonstrate that traces of a culture of violence are still to
be found, if not entrenched, in our security forces. People's Consultative Assembly
Chairman Hidayat Nurwahid has told TNI and National Police personnel to resolve
their disputes in a civilized manner, not by "displaying arrogance and shooting at each
other." This clearly requires not only better recruitment, education and training
programs, but also new strategic culture .
Second, a major defense review is needed in order to determine the level of the force
and budget requirements. For example, we need to know whether the welfare problem
in the TNI is really caused by a the small defense budget, or simply by problems in
the allocation of funds within the budget. A defense review will also determine whether
we really need to maintain or reduce the current force level, especially the total
number in the Army.
Third, the problem also relates to the way we deploy our military. We should not
dismiss the relationship between the territorial command system (Koter) and the
brawls between TNI and National Police personnel. As the tasks of maintaining
internal stability and public safety are now in the hands of the police, the Koter
system needs restructuring.
Fourth, there is also the problem of the lack of regulations. TNI, while it functions as
the main instrument for external defense, it can also be called upon by the political
authorities to undertake internal security functions in special circumstances. However,
Indonesia does not yet have a law that specifically regulates when and how the
military can play such internal security role. It is not enough to control this issue
through a ministerial decree or military commander's regulations.
The decision to call upon the military to undertake internal security functions in
special circumstances is a political one. It therefore requires a law on "stability and
the support role of the military" or "military assistance to civilian authorities" of some
sort which will regulate the interaction between the TNI and the National Police.
The writer is deputy executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies.
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