Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia

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Archive for the ‘Military’ Category

Climate change can strain region’s security

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Climate Change
Image source: dfg.ca.gov

By Evan A. Laksmana

FOLLOWING the recent ‘triple disaster’ in Indonesia – the flooding in Papua, the tsunami that hit the Mentawai islands, and the volcanic eruption in Central Java – some are wondering whether climate change will increase the intensity and frequency of similar events in the region.

The Singapore-based Economy and Environment Programme for South-east Asia (a project under the International Development Research Centre of Canada), for instance, has shown that the Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

February 17th, 2011 at 12:54 pm

The Indonesian Defence Forces: Strategic Changes and Implications

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ice chess game over
Image source: oursurprisingworld.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s re-election in November 2009, the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) have undergone several structural changes, many of which escaped notice of a public distracted by the numerous political dramas unfolding in Jakarta.

Many of these changes will have significant implications for the country’s still nascent military reform process and could potentially change the entire outlook of the defence establishment. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

January 20th, 2011 at 11:02 am

Re-engagement with Kopassus

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KOPASUS
By Evan A. Laksmana

The recent announcement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that the US will begin “a gradual, limited program of security cooperation activities” with the Indonesian Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) sparked an immediate controversy.

While the ban restricting the Kopassus from training on US soil or receive funding for lethal combat training is still likely to be in place for a while, the symbolic statement of opening formal lines of communications — beginning with “staff level discussions”— speaks louder than the actual deed. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

November 30th, 2010 at 9:50 am

To vote or not to vote, that is not the question

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Your vote is your voice
Image source: pemiluindonesia.com

By Evan A. Laksmana

Among the basic rights of any citizen, soldiers included, is the right to vote. But this has not been the case for members of the Indonesian military (TNI), who last exercised this right in the country’s first general elections in 1955.

In fact, since 1971, soldiers had been barred from voting. In return, the TNI was given fixed seats in the national and local parliaments, although the practice was discontinued after 2004. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

August 16th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

Is China failing SE Asia’s test?

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China great wall
Image source: travel.nationalgeographic.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

With all the bombast surrounding the 60th anniversary of China-Indonesia relations in the last few months, many seem unaware of recent developments in the South China Sea. In the last fortnight, details have emerged regarding the Chinese Navy’s growing assertiveness and naval projection capability in the region.

According to a recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a flotilla of six ships from the North Sea Fleet sailed on March 18 on a “long-distance training exercise” in the vicinity of the Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands — and reportedly near the Malacca Strait as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

August 16th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

Reinterpreting the Total Defense System

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HANSIP (Pertahanan Sipil)
Image source: anisavitri.wordpress.com

By Evan A. Laksmana

Few people pay attention to our state defense doctrine the Total Defense System (Sistem Pertahanan Semesta or Sishanta), although this doctrine (published by the Defense Ministry in 2007 and publicly available) shapes the legal, political, intellectual, and even operational foundation of our entire national security system.

After 12 years of reform following the fall of Soeharto in 1998, it is important to reinterpret this doctrine and its implications for our national security. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

July 21st, 2010 at 3:10 pm

Defense and leaders transformation

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..., as former US Naval War College president James Stockdale said, “Great teachers, able to give those around [them] a sense of perspective and to set the moral, social and motivational climate among his followers.”

by Evan A. Laksmana

This month, the Indonesian Military (TNI) would have embarked on around 12 years of reform since Soeharto fell in 1998. Though civil society groups might still cry foul over their lack of “wholehearted” willingness to change, we need to think about what’s next; the transition from a “military reform”-oriented process to a “defense transformation”.

A “reform” agenda implies fixing certain aspects of the military’s “distorted” roles and functions. Given that Soeharto abused the military as a regime maintenance tool, this would logically mean focusing on getting the TNI out of politics and out of business, and submit to democratic civilian control and the rule of law. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

June 15th, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Dialog Tragedi Kemanusiaan Mei 1998: dari Keterasingan Menjadi Karib

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tragedi seperti ini jika dibiarkan dan tidak ada penyelesaian yang adil, suatu saat bukan hanya etnis Tionghoa yang menjadi sasaran, tetapi objek penderita bukan mustahil akan meluas ke minoritas lain di Indonesia. Minoritas yang menjadi sasaran itu bisa jadi adalah saya, anda, saudara kita, teman kita dan rakyat kita yang lemah.

Oleh Dr. Beni Bevly

Dalam dialog Tragedi Kemanusiaan Mei 1998 dengan topik dari Keterasingan Menjadi Karib di Union City, San Francisco Bay Area pada tanggal 16 May 2010, kembali lagi berkumandang pertanyaan dan dialog mengenai: Mengapa perbuatan biadab ini terjadi? Apakah sudah ada penyelesaiannya? Bagaimana supaya hal ini tidak terjadi lagi? Apa yang bisa mereka lakukan dari Amerika?

Peringatan yang dimulai dengan makan malam bersama pada jam lima sore, berlajut dengan dialog hingga jam delapan malam, dihadiri sekitar 100 orang peserta, beberapa nara sumber, antara lain Romo Mutiara Andalas, SJ, Dr. Silvia Tiwon dari University of California Berkeley, Nina Jusuf dari Transformasi, dan saya sendiri sebagai moderator ternyata berjalan dengan penuh antusias. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

May 24th, 2010 at 6:33 pm

Asia’s ‘Holy Grail’ of regional architecture

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As such, without first addressing these potentially destabilizing developments, any kind of search for a new regional architecture will remain as elusive as the search for the legendary “Holy Grail”. And consequently, the looming “Asia Pacific Century” may turn out to be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org

By Evan A. Laksmana

The recent debate regarding the expansion of the East Asia Community (EAS) by allowing Russia to join the ASEAN-driven grouping highlights the continued search for a better, more integrated regional architecture.

In fact, if one looks at the discourse within the last few years, crafting a new “regional architecture” has been somewhat the watchword of both government officials and scholars alike. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

May 24th, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Military postings are now less political

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In the absence of a complete overhaul of the military’s personnel planning system, the road to a stable form of renewal appears a long and winding one.

by Evan A. Laksmana

AWAY from the glare of the headlines, a fundamental shift has quietly taken place in the Indonesian military (TNI).

In the last three months, there have been at least four waves of personnel changes. The first, on Oct 23, involved 46 officers. Another reshuffle on Nov 17 involved 11 officers; on Nov 30, 72 officers; and Dec 29, 51 officers.

The transfers affected a wide range of commands and brought about changes in posts across the board, including those of the three service chiefs, the chief of general staff, the chief of military intelligence, the commander of army special forces (Kopassus), and the regional commanders of Papua, Sulawesi, Aceh, West Java and Central Java, to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

April 21st, 2010 at 12:10 pm

U.S. Training of Kopassus

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ETAN

(Below is a letter from The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) that warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia’s notorious special forces and urged to sign a petition)

Contact: John M. Miller, East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; 917-690-4391, etan@etan.org

U.S. Training of Kopassus: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Not Come

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) warned President Barack Obama against renewing any U.S. training for Indonesia’s notorious special forces. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

March 19th, 2010 at 4:09 pm

The missing nuts and bolts of defense reform

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Dwight D. Eisenhower was once quoted saying, "Planning is everything - plans are nothing."
Image source: republika.co.id

by Evan A. Laksmana

By the end of January, the Defense Ministry’s 100-day program will expire, with key milestones seemingly drowned out by the domestic m*l*e over President Yudhoyono’s characteristic indecision.

More disconcerting, however, is that the ministry seems unable to move away from the existing trend over the past decade of sidelining the key nuts-and-bolts issue of defense reform. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

March 19th, 2010 at 3:30 pm

Review of 2009: RI’s changing geo-strategic currents

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Thus, aside from upping the ante on technological modernization, we must also tackle key defense economic issues, especially on acquisition, personnel planning, bureaucratic reform, and budgetary efficiency. The "Minimum Essential Force" concept needs to be reassessed as well.
Image source: news.xinhuanet.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

The Asia Pacific region was by-and-large relatively stable throughout 2009. Yet, beneath the flurry of “regional architecture” building throughout the year, strategic developments within the region have actually been following four main trends that will have significant ramifications for Indonesia’s strategic relevance.

First, great power politics seemed to be making a comeback – as did the use of military aid and cooperation as their tools. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

March 5th, 2010 at 11:14 am

Defense reforms for 2010-14: Men over materiel?

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Without dedicated, motivated, able, and well-trained troops, the ministry's investments in revitalizing defense industries or acquiring state-of-the-art weaponry will be wasted.
Image source: english.peopledaily.com.cn

By Evan A. Laksmana

“To defend everything is to defend nothing.” There is a lot of wisdom in this old military axiom. Indeed, it is hard to deny that when it comes to national defense, and even war, we just simply can’t do it all. We need to prioritize.

Yet, when we briefly glance through the recent policies made by the Defense Ministry for its 100-day program, the policy makers there seem to be doing the exact opposite – from stepping up military modernization, strengthening local defense industries, to improving border security and disaster management.

The more worrying aspect, however, is not so much the all-embracing priorities, but the perception that the next step after getting the military out of politics and business is to upgrade their weaponry. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

February 1st, 2010 at 2:40 pm

Climate change is also defense and security problem

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Bottom line, a new kind of TNI will be needed. At the operational level, climate change may forcefully alter our defense planning, posture and strategy, especially our Navy's.
Image source: beritajakarta.com

by Evan A. Laksmana

We are now only less than a month away from the UN summit on climate Change in Copenhagen to hammer out a new post-Kyoto deal to save the planet.

Meanwhile, recent reports show that in Southeast Asia, one of the most susceptible regions to climate change, more than 750,000 people have died between 1998 and 2009 from natural disasters.

Indonesia too will soon see firsthand the increases in the severity of drought, flooding, forest fires, rising sea level and extreme weather conditions.

Yet, with this impending disaster, the then defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said recently his department had no specific national security agenda for climate change.

This statement is shocking – not least for its lack of concern about how climate change could radically change our national defense. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Beni Bevly

December 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm