TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Wednesday last week was a happy day for Indonesia's Armed Forces (TNI) chief commander, Moeldoko, who celebrated 29 years of his marriage to Koesni Harningsih. The front porch of his home in Central Jakarta was full of congratulatory floral wreaths and bouquets.
Inside, the happy couple sat across a table on which the ceremonial, conical rice dish was placed. Moeldoko, clad in his four-star army uniform, sitting next to his wife Koesni, recalled how they first met. "There wasn't much of a courtship. We met, I proposed and she said yes," joked Moeldoko.
Amid this happy occasion, the TNI chief commander invited Tempo journalists Hermien Y. Kleden, Qaris Tajudin, Budi Setyarso, Agustina Widiarsi and Heru Triyono for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the nation's military, as its 69th anniversary on October 5 approaches. Excerpts of the interview:
How did the clash in Batam between soldiers of the 134th Infantry Battalion and members of the Police Mobile Brigade happen?
Four of my men went there (Police Mobile Brigade command headquarters) unarmed, to clarify things. But they were attacked. One of them tried to run, but was caught and beaten up. When another TNI member came to resolve the problem, they heard shots fired. I really don't want to say any more. People might think I was trying to influence the investigation team. Let the joint TNI-Police team do their work.
What do you expect the results to be?
It will reveal what really happened. We want to get at the root of the problem.
Would an independent team be needed to investigate?
No need. This is an internal affair. There were witnesses, we just need to dig up the information,
How long will the investigation team take?
It will be done in a week's time.
What will happen when the results show TNI members were at fault?
I will resolve it. There's no question, they will be dismissed. That's not unusual in the TNI. I have given examples of that. But not the police, it seems. That's the root of the problem. From their side, the key is to be transparent.
That's a damning commentary, as if the blame lies with the police.
I'm saying it, so that members of both the TNI and the police, will do some introspection, some self-evaluation.
What kind of evaluation do you expect from the police?
I want them (the shooter) to be penalized through a transparent process. It's too bad the Brimob (Police Mobile Brigade) are so trigger happy.
Are you blaming Brimob?
I am blaming the leadership on the ground. Something is not right there.
How are relations between the TNI and the police?
For us, the police are part of the extended family, separated only by tupoksi (short for tugas, pokok, fungsi or duty, basics, function). At the leadership level, there are no problems.
That may be, but clashes keep happening on the ground. Could TNI members be envious that the police control 'lucrative areas'?
Perhaps there might be some 'power struggle' at the lower level, as in the Batam case. But the conflict does not seem to end there. (*)
Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine