TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of efforts to restore the misguided role of the military just like during the New Order regime must be rejected.
That includes the deliberation of bill of the government regulation on the organization structure of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) that is being discussed by the Ministry of Defense.
The plan is very likely to disrupt the democratic life in Indonesia that is now beginning to be running well.
The public may be suspicious that there is a hidden agenda behind the formulation of the bill, whose content includes increased functions and authority of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI).
Therefore, it is not surprising if a number of non-government institutions allied under the Civil Society Coalition have urged President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo to stop the deliberation of the bill.
They are worried that the increased authority of TNI will bring it back to the political arena, something that has been stopped since the reformation era in 1998.
According to member of the Presidential Communication Team Ari Dwipayana, the bill is still being discussed at ministerial level and TNI headquarter and does contain a number of controversial articles.
It will not only increase the authority of the TNI and make it very big just like during the New Order era, but will also eventually create overlaps with other institutions.
The bill says that the duties of TNI, that so far concern with defense, also now concerns with security affairs.
It is also said that the TNI has non-military functions, which are dealing with and preventing military and non-military threats both from home and abroad, as well as to keep the security of the state.
We know that the function of keeping the security, in line with the law, is the duty of the police.
As for the duties of TNI as the defense instrument of the state, it is regulated by the Law Number 34 of 2004.
The additional duties of the TNI are certainly dangerous and can cause overlapping, even friction with the police, something that has often happened and claimed victims from both sides.
Then there is another controversial article.
Article 7 says that the TNI has two duties, namely military operation for the wars and military operation besides wars. That second one ranges from talking with natural disasters to dealing with drug abuse.
The involvement of TNI in dealing with drug abuse cases is certainly out of proportion and is a trumped-up idea.
The duty is already performed by special institutions appointed by the law, namely the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the national police.
It is beyond imagination if someday members of the TNI have a row with BNN or the national police.
If this bill later approved, the ones who will be at loss is all of us, the Indonesian people and the TNI.
TNI, who will be busy tackling natural disasters or drug abuse cases, might risk their professionalism in defending the state in the war against the enemies.
We all know that the TNI continues to conduct reforms for the sake of their own good and professionalism.
Bill of the presidential regulation on organizational structure of the TNI is not necessary indeed.
Therefore, President Jokowi must immediately stop deliberation of the bill.
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