The Straits Times, Saturday, February 22, 2003
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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