TNI May Act Without Political Decision
Wednesday, 31 January, 2007 | 15:10 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Defense Department has proposed that in facing military threats from other countries, the Indonesian Military (TNI) may take military actions without having to wait for the political decision mechanism.

This point is stated in the National Security Draft Bill, which was already completed by the Defense Department by the middle of this month.

In the draft dated January 18, 2007, a copy of which Tempo has received, in Chapter III on national security practice, Article 29 point 4 states, “In terms of facing military threats from other countries and based on time and place considerations that require immediate action, the Indonesian Military may take limited and measured emergency handling steps.”

In addition point 5 states, “In terms of the TNI taken emergency steps, the Commander should report to the President at the very least once every 24 hours.”

The provision for the use of power by the TNI in the draft is different from the Decree No. 34/2004 on TNI.

Article 17 where, according to point 1, it states that the authority and responsibility for deploying the power of the TNI power is in the hands of the President.

Point 2 states that in terms of deploying the power of the TNI, the President must obtain the approval of the House of Representatives.

According to Major General TNI Dadi Susanto, head of the Defense Department National Security Bill steering committee, the proposal has taken into account the speed of time in action.

“The threats referred to are not only on land or in the sea, but also in the air,” he said yesterday.

Dadi disputed that the article can be made use of by the TNI to commit a coup d’etat or to rebel.

The proposal was criticized by a member of the DPR Commission for Defense, Djoko Susilo.

“This opens the gap for TNI to commit a coup,” he said.

According to this politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), regardless of the situation, the command to deploy troops must be in the hands of the highest political leader, the President.

Dimas Adityo and Raden Rachmadi