YOGYAKARTA – Militancy, discipline, loyality and the esprit de corps of the military (TNI) have experienced discontinuity. In the past, militancy, discipline, loyality and the esprit de corps of the military were directed to achieve and maintain independence, but now such energy is for pragmatic goals, namely raise in rank and title, which grows the patron client system in the military.
Such was revealed by Mayor General of the TNI as well as Deputy Chief for Politics and Strategy in the Secretary General of the National Resilience Board, Kitaran Joy Sihotang, in his open doctoral examination in the PAU UGM building, Saturday (2/2) with promotor Prof. Dr. Heru Nugroho and co-Promotor Prof. Dr. Irwan Abdullah.
Joy said the pragmatic drive caused misunderstanding of the doctrine among military personnel. Even misconception occured due to the paradigmatic mistakes that is received by soldiers when they were trained. They were trained that seniors make no mistakes and cannot be blamed. “The worst impact is that it blocks cultural reform of the soldiers,” he said.
At the cultural level of TNI soldiers, he added, TNI reform has experienced difficulties due to the culture of the soldier which is inherent not exterent, different from structural reform of the TNI that is external due to the external encouragement. “Cultural reform of soldiers is inherent, emerging not from external drive,” he said.
Therefore, TNI structural reform does not instantly produce cultural reform as the culture of the soldiers is in the personal sphere which is narrow and closed as well as internal. At the institutional level that is structural, the reform transition process is easier to do. It is easier and quicker due to the institutional mistakes done in the New Order which was expansive, pressuring civil room such as the dual functions of the then-ABRI and the TNI coming into business.