National

TNI Prepared To Be Under Minister of Defense
Saturday, 30 October, 2004 | 15:41 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has said that he was prepared to see the TNI placed under the Minister of Defense.

“If the situation truly requires the TNI to be under the Ministry of Defense, it should not be a problem,” said Sutarto on Tuesday (26/10) following a coordination meeting of political, law and security ministers in Jakarta.

If in the current situation, there is a possibility that the TNI be under the Ministry of Defense, Sutarto added, then amendments to decisions by the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and state decrees regulating TNI matters must be immediately carried out.

According to Sutarto, the TNI must not make any decision regarding its position by itself.

“If the nation and the people want us to be like that, we, the TNI officers, must obey that wish,” he stated.

Indonesian Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said earlier that the TNI should be under his ministry and the National Police under the home affairs ministry.

Sudarsono stated that it would be require at least three to five years to put this idea into realization.

Asked whether or not the TNI was psychologically prepared to be under the Ministry of Defense, the TNI chief said,” Prepared for what? It should not be a problem if that is the wish of this nation. We are part of this nation. If the people want us to be integrated into the Ministry of Defense, let is be so. But, it should be done based on prevailing laws.”

TNI Navy chief of staff Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh said that the TNI must review this matter before making a decision on its stance.

Sondakh admitted that the TNI must be under the Ministry of Defense in a democratic state.

“But, this does not mean that I agree with the idea,” he stated. (Dimas Adityo/Sunariah/Budi S-Koran Tempo)