AFP: Military may take over, Jakarta warned

[Dao Van <daotb@yahoo.com>]

NOV 24 1999

Military may take over, Jakarta warned

Intervention is possible if civilian rule fails, says Defence Minister
Juwono as he asks for more funds

JAKARTA -- Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono has warned of a
military takeover if the civilian government proves incompetent as he
demanded a 62.9 per cent hike in the defence budget, said a report
yesterday.  Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, he said although his
aim was to promote a civilian government, any failure to construct a
"healthy and strong" political atmosphere might invite a military
takeover. 

"If civilian leaders are not able to
develop a healthy and independent political life then we will sooner or
later return to a military-dominated role just like in Pakistan and some
African states," Mr Juwono said, according to the Jakarta Post daily. 

Creating a strong civilian society in Indonesia would not be an easy
task since the middle classes here accounted for about only 10 per cent,
far below the benchmark 30 per cent, he said. 

"So objectively, as an observer and not
as a minister, I have to say that at least for the next 10 years,
turmoil is still unavoidable here, although it would not be as frequent
and severe as we expected," he said. 

The military, with its image at home at its lowest ebb following
accusations of widespread past human rights violations, is increasingly
seen as attempting a gradual comeback since the fall of former President
Suharto. 

Mr Suharto, a retired general who ruled for 32 years with the backing of
the country's powerful military, stepped down last year amid widespread
calls for reform.  Mr Juwono also surprised the parliamentary commission
by seeking a 62.9 per cent rise for the military and police in the state
budget 2000-2001 to come into effect on April 1, 2000. 

The military is currently allocated 11.6 trillion rupiah (S$2.67
billion) and is seeking an increase to 18.9 trillion rupiah.  Mr Juwono
said the hike was necessary to improve professionalism in the ranks and
ensure security forces were impartial and corruption-free. 

"We have seen in the past that the
military's involvement in politics, bureaucracy and business was due to
insufficient budget," he said. 

"If people want to feel safe and
protected, then pay the soldiers sufficiently...  If we want to reform
the military in line with democratic and human rights values, we must
give soldiers the minimum requirements to be able to perform their duty
professionally."

The move to meet the soldiers' welfare did not have not to be immediate
since the country was still recovering from the deep-rooted crisis which
hit in 1997. 

But he said: "There must be a signal and commitment from the government
and the House to increase the budget."

The additional funds were needed to repair and maintain much of the
hardware used by the military and police, he said, adding that the
operational capacity of some military units had dropped by 40 per cent
due to obsolete equipment.  -- AFP


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