Indonesia military leader vows to reform armed forces

By Ahmad Pathoni

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's new military commander vowed on Thursday to push ahead with reforms of the armed forces, turning it into a law-abiding, professional body.

Indonesia's military wielded considerable political power under former President Suharto, who ruled for more than three decades. During that time, it was involved in massacres, extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses, often conducted in the name of maintaining national unity.

But after Suharto was forced to step down in 1998 and Indonesians embraced greater democracy, the military, known by its Indonesian acronym TNI, was stripped of its fixed quota of seats in parliament.

"The TNI will complete and evaluate the reform process and maintain its neutrality in politics," General Djoko Santoso told a news conference at military headquarters in Jakarta. He also vowed to increase soldiers' welfare, improve the armed forces' professionalism and play a wider role in disaster relief.

But, Santoso warned that the greatest threat to Indonesia's security was domestic. "Indonesia's biggest challenge is maintaining unity," he said, a clear reference to Indonesia's separatists, such as those who want independence for the remote area of Papua.

Santoso, who took office last month, is a close ally of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a former general who studied in the United States. Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first direct presidential elections in 2004 on pledges to pursue reforms, tackle corruption, create jobs and boost economic growth.

While the military is no longer represented in parliament, it is still seen as having political influence, and has proved immune from prosecution over its human rights abuses.

Yudhoyono on Thursday warned the military against abusing its power and taking unlawful action under the pretext of protecting the nation.