Army indonésienne

The national army indonésienne , in Indonésien Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI, indicates the whole of the Armed forces of the Republic of Indonesia. Its manpower are of a little more than 360.000 men. It is made up of:

the Army ( TNI Angkatan Darat ),
the marine ( TNI Angkatan Laut ) and
the air force ( TNI Angkatan Udara ).

" Total Power" Fire; classify the armed forces indonésiennes 13th in term of power (5th in Asia, behind China, India, Japan and South Korea).

With some 277.000 men, the Army is the most important component by far.

The official budget of defense indonésienne constitutes only 3% of the Gross domestic product. But the army also draws from the incomes from various companies and foundations which it has.

The chief of current staff of the army indonésienne is the marshal of the air Djoko Suyanto. At the time of Soeharto, only a general of ground could occupy this station. The president Abdurrahman Wahid had inaugurated one new era by naming a Admiral there, justifying his choice by the fact that Indonesia is an archipelago.

Until 1999, the Police indonésienne belonged to the armed forces. With a manpower of only 150.000 men for more than 225 million inhabitants, the police force indonésienne is relatively smaller than in the majority of the countries.

History

The army indonésienne was born in the tread from the proclamation from independence on August 17th 1945. Although Japan capitulated on August 15th, the Japanese troops of occupation are always on the territory indonésien, where the Alliés did not take foot yet. October 5th, the government of the Republic of Indonesia creates the Badan Keamanan Rakyat or “popular security body”, which becomes Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (“armed with popular safety”) then Tentara Republik Indonesia (“armed with the Republic of Indonesia”) in January 1946, before taking its final name of Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI.

According to the points of view, one distinguishes 2 or 3 groups in the beginning from the formation of the army indonésienne:

Of former volunteers of the constitutional body by the Japanese troops of occupation, " Heiho" (body of auxiliaries formed in 1943) and " Peta" ('Pembela Tanah Air or " defenders of the patrie" , youth organization created to be opposed to an unloading Allied in Indonesia), from which a former teacher is resulting, Soedirman, who becomes the supreme commander of the young army,
Of former officers of the Dutch colonial army, among which a certain A.H. Nasution,
members of the many militia which appear in reaction in particular to the return of the Dutchmen in their old colony as of August 1945.

In 1946, the Dutchmen re-occupy Jakarta. The government indonésien must be folded up with Yogyakarta in the center of Java. The South East Asia Command of the Allies, which had unloaded little time after the Japanese capitulation, returns to the Dutchmen the authority on old the the Indies Dutchwomen except Java and Sumatra. In the territories which they control, the Dutchmen create a series of states fantoches.

The Dutchmen will try to recover the whole of their old colony. They still have an important colonial army, including some 100.000 soldiers in Java. In 1947, they launch a first " action of police" , that Indonésiens call " agresi " and occupy the main part of the zones economically vital of Java and Sumatra. The the United Nations impose a cease-fire to them. An agreement leads to the withdrawal of the troops indonésiennes of Western Java and to their fold in the center of the island, remained republican territory. In 1948, the Dutchmen launch a second " action of police" and occupy Yogyakarta. The republican government is stopped. The army takes the maquis and starts a fight of Guérilla. Again, the United Nations impose a cease-fire.

The conflict, that Indonésiens call " Revolusi ", on December 27th 1949 with the formal transfer of sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will end to a " republic of the United States d' Indonésie" composed of the Republic of Indonesia east of the various states fantoches.

As of January 1950, the states fantoches start to dissolve in the Republic of Indonesia. States of the east of Sumatra and the " Republic of Indonesia orientale" resist however this movement unitarist. In April with Makassar in the southern of Célèbes, of the clashes between soldiers amboinais colonial army and units of the army indonésienne burst. In Ambon, Dr. Soumokil, a former minister for the Republic of Eastern Indonesia proclaims the République of Moluques of the South. The republican troops unload in Ambon and crush the rebellion.

Political role

In the years 1950, the chief of staff of the Army, general A.H. Nasution, undertakes the rationalization of this one. With the Parliament, the opposition criticizes the reforms considered. The October 17th 1952, of the tanks surround the presidential palace whereas Nasution claims with the president Soekarno the dissolution of the Parliament. Soekarno refuses this application.

It is the time when various rebellions burst in Indonesia, which the army is charged to repress. In 1957, the government proclaims the state of emergency. This same year, the trade unions seize the Dutch companies. In the name of the martial Law, the army takes the control of these companies.

The constitution indonésienne envisages, beside the parties, a parliamentary representation of " groupes". Soekarno, which wishes to finish some with the mode of the parties, launches the idea of a " face national" who would gather the " fonctionnels" groups; ( golongan karya ) following:

workmen and employees,
peasants,
contractors,
armed forces,
religious groups,
the Angkatan 45 , " generation of 45" , i.e. those which, without being soldiers, took part in the conflict opposing the young republic to the former colonizer of 1945 to 1949,
intellectuals, teachers, representatives of the areas, young people, women etc

A convergence takes shape between Soekarno and the army to set up a new system, the " democracy dirigée".

In 1958, Nasution defines the “average way” which must be that of the army indonésienne, between the “big silence” of the Western countries and the practice of the Coup d'etat of the armies of Latin America. The statute of “functional group” allows the entry of the army in the wheels of the capacity.

Soekarno fails to set up the other “functional groups”. There remains to him the solution of a compromise with the parties, while making sure the support of the army. In 1960, it launches the concept of Nasakom , alliance between the nationalist forces ( nas ) represented by PNI, nuns ( has for agama , “religion”) in particular represented by the large Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, and Communists ( kom ) with the Communist party indonésien (PKI).

The beginning of the year 1960 is marked by the release campaign “of Irian” (Western New Guinea, whose statute had not been distinct in 1949 and that the Dutchmen always managed) then the Confrontation Indonesia-Malaysia. In 1962, Soekarno is made appoint “supreme commander of the armed forces”, neutralizing the capacity of Nasution.

The state of emergency ends in 1963 with the setting in supervision of Irian under an administration of the the United Nations. Soekarno launches out then in a policy of “Confrontation” with the new federation of Malaysia, which he denounces like a creation of the “Impérialisme”. Nasution sees an occasion there to reinforce the position of the army.

In 1965, the PKI proposes the creation of a “fifth force” which would come to reinforce the 4 weapons (ground, air, sea and police force) in the " Confrontation" by arming the workmen and the peasants. The Army refuses this idea. The air force, on the contrary, starts to involve units of civil volunteers, with the air base of Halim close to Jakarta.

On its side, Nasution launches the idea of a “civic mission” of the army, which must take part in the development of the country. Economists trained with the university of Berkeley in the United States come to give courses to the School of War of Bandung.

October 1st, 1965 in the morning, an officer of the presidential guard announces being to the head of a " movement of September 30th " who thwarted a project of coup d'etat by a “council of the generals”. The night before, six generals of the high staff were killed by rebellious soldiers. The Major-general Soeharto, ordering of Kostrad (strategic reserves of the Army), organizes repression. It orders the dissolution of the PKI, which is followed massacres which will make between 500.000 and one million deaths.

March 11th, 1966, Soeharto forces Soekarno to transmit the capacity to him. It is formally elected president in 1968 by the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Sementara (" deliberative assembly of the people provisoire") formed in 1959 by Soekarno.

In 1971 the first general elections take place new mode. On the 460 seats of DPR (National Assembly), 100 are granted of office to members of the armed forces (which include the police force). The mode rests moreover on a Sekretariat Bersama Golongan Karya (“common secretariat of the functional groups”, shortened in " Golkar ", created in 1964 by the army), which takes part in the elections. Golkar obtains 62,8% of the voices. The new assembly re-elects Soeharto chair. She will systematically do it with the following elections, Soeharto being each time the only candidate.

Soeharto resigns on May 21st 1998, following the riots of Jakarta of May 1998. With the general elections of 1999, the really democratic first since those of 1955, the army is still seen allotting office 38 seats (against 100 at the time of Soeharto, brought back to 75 for the elections of 1997) out of the 500 of the DPR. An amendment with the Constitution voted in 2002 removes these seats for the elections of 2004. The army indonésienne does not have any more a formal political role.

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