Uniting Generals

Posted by AsiaViews | Oct 2, 2017 | 0 |

INDONESIA

The Jakarta Post

Sept 28, 2017

More than the loud alarm, which could be false, about the resurrection of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from its grave, or the political ambition of a general whose retirement is looming, or even the hidden rivalry between all the President’s men, the clear and present danger is the lack of communication that has unfolded following a war of words involving top officials responsible for national defense.

The public was divided when Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo admitted to having issued an order for soldiers across the country to attend public screenings of the old movie Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (Treachery of G30S/PKI). The instruction came on the heels of the siege by “anticommunist” groups of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office, which was hosting a discussion on the mass killings and persecution that marked a communist purge back in 1965-1966.

While the movie about the aborted coup attempt on Sept. 30, 1965, which during the Soeharto era was mandatory for schoolchildren, barely triggered a debate within the government, Gatot’s disclosure of the allegedly illegal import of firearms by a non-military institution has revealed the rift. On different occasions, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu have rebuffed Gatot’s allegation, saying the firearms were local products and their procurement for the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the National Police had followed the correct procedures.

Both Wiranto and Ryamizard, who are retired Army generals themselves, might try to play down the apparent cracks by saying that Gatot was not fully informed about the arms shopping. Or in Ryamizard’s euphemism, quoting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the controversy constitutes “a lack of communication.”

Instead of underestimating the polemic in public, we think the uproar over the procurement of firearms should give cause for concern. Not only is the open argument unnecessary, but it also raises questions about their teamwork.

The public may now cast doubts over the nation’s safety as top officials mandated to protect the country from insurgency and foreign threats fail to communicate, let alone cooperate, with each other. If they cannot show unity themselves, how can we be confident in their ability to devise policies and take action to maintain national integrity?

Solid partnership matters, especially between the defense minister as the policymaker responsible for the military budget, and the TNI chief who oversees about 500,000 personnel in the three armed forces. National defense requires close cooperation, including information sharing, among them given the myriad forms of challenges and threats facing the country today.

As the TNI supreme commander, President Jokowi summoned Wiranto and Gatot on Wednesday. Jokowi’s intervention, if any, will not work if his generals put their personal ambitions ahead of national interests.

(source:http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/09/28/editorial-uniting-generals.html )

About The Author

AsiaViews

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Neigborhood Watch

Subscribe To Newsletter

POINTS TO PONDER

EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Uniting Generals