Military, Indonesia
Despite a credibility sullied by its close association with deposed Indonesian president Suharto (served 1966–1998), the Indonesian military continues to play a critical role in Indonesian history and sociopolitical and economic life. It traces its origins to the paramilitary forces set up by the Japanese in 1943–1945 and the Dutch colonial army. Originally known as Angkatan Bersenjata Indonesia (ABRI), the Indonesian military, which included the police, was the vanguard of the revolutionary independence struggle against the Dutch. After the downfall of the Suharto regime, ABRI was reorganized and renamed Tentera Nasional Indonesia (TNI). The 300,000-strong TNI still regards itself as the sole guardian and savior of Indonesian unity. Inspired by Javanese cultural nationalism, TNI remains staunchly anticommunist but has been increasingly accommodating to the rise of political Islam.
ABRI's central role hinged on dwifungsi (dual function), which was conceived during the political and economic turmoil and the failure of parliamentary democracy in the 1950s. Given legislative mandate in 1982, dwifungsi encapsulated the military's dual role as an external defense force with internal sociopolitical roles and was given effect by its being allocated parliamentary seats. Operationally, dwifungsi is manifest in ABRI's territorial function (kekaryaan), in which active and retired officers dominate civilian administrations from provincial down to village levels. This enabled Suharto to extend his power base both laterally and vertically in the aftermath of the abortive 1965 coup, in which the Communist Party of Indonesia was implicated. Dwifungsi was discredited after May 1998, but TNI remains relevant in holding the fragile Indonesian state together. TNI's current parliamentary representation has been whittled to thirty-eight seats from one hundred.
Although there is strong political and societal pressure for TNI to subordinate itself to civilian control and confine itself to a purely external defense, military reforms have been tentative. Tension persists between reformists and conservatives, and the dwifungsi-guardian doctrinal mindsets resonate within the rank and file. The police have been separated from the military command, but the military still meets many internal security needs, especially those related to the secessionist tendencies in Aceh and West Papua. In the face of large budget cuts, the military retains significant business interests as a means of generating funds for operational needs and the welfare of the soldiers and their families. The pursuit of accountability and justice for the military's and militia groups' human rights abuses have floundered on political expediency and deal-making. The military reforms are doomed to failure unless buttressed by governmental efforts to combat pervasive corruption, decentralize power, and promote the rule of law.
The post-Suharto transition demonstrates that the Indonesian political leadership still needs TNI's support for the government to be able to assert some form of governance. TNI is the only viable institution that can restore stability across the vast multiethnic, multireligious Indonesian archipelago and safeguard any administration. TNI will continue to remain on the political center stage, and the possibility of a resurgent military in Indonesia cannot be foreclosed.
Further Reading
Crouch, Harold. (1988) The Army and Politics in Indonesia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Kahin, George M. (1952) Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Kammen, Douglas, and Siddharth Chandra. (1999) A Tour of Duty: Changing Patterns of Military Politics in Indonesia in the 1990s. Ithaca, NY: Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University Press.
Lowry, Robert. (1996) The Armed Forces of Indonesia. St. Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Schwarz, Adam. (1999) A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia's Search for Stability. St. Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
This is the complete article, containing 570 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
