The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Jakarta

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday warned the once-powerful armed forces against returning to politics. Under former President Suharto, the general who rose to power in an anti-communist coup and who ruled for 32 years, the military had a prominent role. The military (TNI) had a fixed quota of seats in Indonesia's parliament, its members were involved in running various businesses, and they were frequently accused of human rights abuses. Since Suharto's downfall amid civil unrest in 1998, the military's political power has been clipped and it has come under pressure to abandon its lucrative business ventures. "The TNI needs to maintain its consistency in staying out of politics and should not try to find a new way to get involved in politics," Yudhoyono said in a speech marking Armed Forces Day at the military headquarters. Yudhoyono, a former general who spent his entire career in the armed forces, urged the military to continue the reforms that began in 1998 so that it could become a "professional and capable" institution.