Editorial: Keep the Military Away From Politics
Indonesia's modern history can be seen as series of stories about the military attempting to assert control over civilians and rule the country. From the very beginning, the Indonesian military has been deeply politicized and its elites involved massively in struggles for power.
The incidents surrounding the 1965-66 anti-communist purge showed how the Army was directly involved in the power struggle against the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Maj. Gen. Suharto claimed full power, paving the way for deep involvement of the military in politics. Under Suharto and his New Order regime, the "dual function" doctrine, which saw the military as a defense and sociopolitical power, was brought into practice with active military officers appointed mayors, district heads and governors across the country.
Under Suharto, the military dominated almost every aspect of Indonesian life, leading to massive human rights violations, extra-judicial killings and rampant violence against civilians on a daily basis. Fortunately, the 1998 reform movement brought down Suharto and his regime, and succeeded in gradually pushing the military out of politics.
However, the competition between former generals eying public office and the involvement of soldiers in securing the election process, including the distribution of ballot papers, have opened door for the military to return to politics. Many among the military elite believe that they should be represented in the government. Meanwhile, the elites within political parties also believe that the ex-generals can help them win the support of the military.
There is nothing wrong with ex-generals seeking public office. However, military commanders could also use their power to influence the vote, even through intimidation. For the military to get involved in politics in such a way should be prevented, as that would be a step back for Indonesia.
| Reply via web post | Reply to sender | Reply to group | Start a New Topic | Messages in this topic (1) |
to Subscribe via email :
batavia-news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
----------------------------------------
VISIT Batavia News Blog
http://batavia-news-networks.blogspot.com/
----------------------------
You could be Earning Instant Cash Deposits
in the Next 30 Minutes
No harm to try - Please Click
http://tinyurl.com/bimagroup
--------------
No comments:
Post a Comment