In Reply to: They need support posted by Sargent on Saturday, 6. November 2004 at 08:17 Bali Time:
At least part of it is listed here:
http://yayasanhak.minihub.org/mot/Endriartono%20Sutarto.htm
That site mainly deals with atrocities committed in East Timor, but it's clear that Sutarto has been less than clean in other areas such as Aceh and Maluku. And wasn't he involved in the attack on PDIP offices a few years ago? Or am I thinking of someone else? (No... I think it was Sutarto, coz there were questions that were never answered after Megawati gave him some nice posts despite his alleged involvement in the attack on her party office -- while she wasn't there, mind you... hmmmm.)
Frankly, it's clear that the worst of the bad apples in the Military are at the top, and these are the guys who have been training the rest of them. There needs to be major reform, and with one of Suharto's men in charge of the military, and another as president, I think there's a long way to go.
In many regions, the military are the mafia -- as in they run the protection rackets. Surely you agree that this is criminal. In which case you should be able to see my point about not giving these guys any more power or weapons.
I don't know what your point is about replacing the crooks with 'our men'. Who are 'we'? If you mean the US and the West, don't forget that Suharto was considered "Our kind of guy" by the US. And he was the biggest crook of them all.
The military, any country's military, has done bugger all in the War on Terror. The police and intelligence agencies have done all the main work. The military have just fought wars and killed a bunch of people, none of whom are Osama bin Laden. Most of the dead did absolutely nothing to anybody. With civilian casualties in Iraq topping 100,000, and the one person we're supposed to be chasing above all others not only still alive but making video tapes commenting on Bush's progress, I think it would be wise to take the toys away from all the boys until they calm down and figure out exactly what game they want to play.
What suggestions do I have for reforming the Indonesian Military?
1 -- Make every person wanted for questioning over war crimes in East Timor and elswhere go to a UN commitee (not necessarily a court) and answer the questions. SBY can kick this off by volunteering to do it himself. (Hehe... and maybe he can make a pact with Ariel Sharon to do the same.)
2 -- Fight the protection rackets by providing a forum for business people to secretly dob in members of the military involved in corruption, and simultaneously offer amnesty and honourable discharge to anyone who admits to being involved, and possibly a civil position if they pay suitable compensation. Dishonourable discharges for all others.
3 -- No guns for privates except during training (and during genuine conflicts, naturally). Their main duties during peacetime should involve working in the community -- to do, and be seen doing, things that help the people they are supposed to be protecting.
4 -- Rewards for periods of clean service, redeemable as part of the pension plan, and stripped in the event of subsequent corruption. This provides an incentive to ensure a spotless career. In time, when such men are seen to have done well for thetmselves, others may be inspired to follow their example.
That's just for starters off the top of my head. None of it will happen, though. And until it does, they should not be provided with any more weapons. Indonesia is not at war with anyone other than its own citizens in some areas. Better training should be provided. More diplomacy is needed. Real solutions should be found before the violence escalates. That should only ever be the very last resort.
And sure, Aussies, or anyone, have the right to forget their worries and just enjoy the holiday they deserve. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. But if they want Indonesia to be a beautiful place for their children to visit, it doesn't hurt for them to try to mend some of the damage our governments are doing by showing that people of all countries can be great friends, no matter what knob-ends are running the countries.