2) Challenges Indonesia's new armed forces chief will need to address
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1) Challenges await General Perkasa in Papua
5 hours ago
Papua issues will be a challenge for the leadership of General Andika Perkasa, whose sole candidacy for the post of Indonesia's Military Commander has been approved by the House of Representatives (DPR).
Armed conflicts are still occurring in Papua and West Papua though the central and regional governments are making the utmost effort to improve the welfare of local communities by intensifying regional development.
On November 7, 2021, or a day after the House's Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defense approved Perkasa's candidacy, two soldiers were shot by Papuan separatist terrorists.
The two soldiers survived but sustained gunshot wounds after several Papuan separatist terrorists ambushed them in Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district, on Sunday afternoon (November 7, 2021).
According to Commander of the 173/PVB District Military Command, Brig. Gen. Taufan Gastoro, a gunfight broke out after the armed separatists suddenly attacked the soldiers who were transporting logistics supplies.
Related news: Kontras urges Perkasa to prioritize approach-based dialogue in Papua
Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
The armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba village airstrip.
Armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleash acts of terror against civilians to instill fear among the people.
Related news: Two wounded soldiers in stable condition evacuated to Timika
On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9.
On February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Then, on the morning of September 13, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
Related news: Military, police regain control of Bilogai after rebels' occupation
The separatist terrorists reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. One health worker, identified as Gabriela Meilan, died while four others sustained serious injuries in the attack.
The House of Representatives approved General Andika Perkasa as Indonesia's next military (TNI) commander in place of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who has reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021.
Before being nominated by President Joko Widodo as the sole candidate for the post of TNI Commander, General Perkasa served as the Army Chief of Staff.
Responding to Perkasa's candidacy, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said the new TNI commander would hopefully improve upon the approaches adopted toward Papuan communities in Papua and West Papua provinces.
The approaches that Tjahjanto applied in the two easternmost provinces have run well, he told journalists on the sidelines of his visit to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, on November 6.
Related news: 282 Kiwirok refugees still at Oksibil's GIDI Church: police
In this regard, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) urged General Perkasa to prioritize approach-based dialogue to address Papua issues.
"We appeal to the Indonesian government or state to use a dialogue for resolving conflicts in Papua," head of Kontras' legal division, Andi Muhammad Rezaldy, said in a statement that ANTARA received early this week.
Rezaldy made the statement at a webinar entitled 'Calculating the New TNI Commander's Commitment to the TNI Institutional Reform', which was streamed on Kontras' official Youtube channel.
An approach-based dialogue has been applied in the past by several Indonesian presidents, including Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), he noted.
The approach adopted by President Gus Dur to resolve Papuan issues had productively contributed to peace, he said. Gus Dur, for instance, changed the name of Irian Jaya province to Papua in 2000, he noted.
Related news: LPSK deployed to Kiwirok to assist violence-impacted health workers
Gus Dur also allowed and provided financial assistance to Papuan figures for holding the Papuan People's 2nd National Congress in March 2000, he noted.
As revealed by past experiences, an approach-based dialogue has proven effective in reducing tensions in Papua, Rezaldy said.
To this end, he appealed to the new TNI commander, government, and all related parties to prioritize approach-based dialogue instead of military intervention for resolving Papua issues.
Military intervention in conflict resolution tends to trigger human rights abuses, he said, adding that approach-based dialogue would be a challenge for General Perkasa.
Last year, the Indonesian Defence Ministry had initiated a focus group discussion in Jakarta to seek solutions to the Papua conflict.
At a discussion forum, held on October 14, 2020, Indonesia's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla, was invited as a guest speaker considering his capabilities and experiences in resolving the Aceh conflict.
Related news: IDI assists healthcare workers surviving Kiwirok's terrorist attack
Kalla argued that, in principle, all violent conflicts can be resolved through peaceful settlement, but each conflict-torn area may demand a different approach.
Regarding the Papua conflict, its resolution may need a different approach from that used in Aceh, he said.
As an initiator of the peaceful resolution to the Aceh conflict, Kalla highlighted the importance of firmly resorting to the basic principle of delivering a win-win solution to achieve an everlasting peace.
In seeking a peaceful solution to an armed conflict, none of the warring parties must feel like a loser or feel their dignity has been lowered, he argued.
Related news: Indonesia, Malaysia agree to open border
Related news: Indonesia, Malaysia ink MoU on strengthening news agency ties
Armed conflicts are still occurring in Papua and West Papua though the central and regional governments are making the utmost effort to improve the welfare of local communities by intensifying regional development.
On November 7, 2021, or a day after the House's Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defense approved Perkasa's candidacy, two soldiers were shot by Papuan separatist terrorists.
The two soldiers survived but sustained gunshot wounds after several Papuan separatist terrorists ambushed them in Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district, on Sunday afternoon (November 7, 2021).
According to Commander of the 173/PVB District Military Command, Brig. Gen. Taufan Gastoro, a gunfight broke out after the armed separatists suddenly attacked the soldiers who were transporting logistics supplies.
Related news: Kontras urges Perkasa to prioritize approach-based dialogue in Papua
Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
The armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba village airstrip.
Armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleash acts of terror against civilians to instill fear among the people.
Related news: Two wounded soldiers in stable condition evacuated to Timika
On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9.
On February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Then, on the morning of September 13, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
Related news: Military, police regain control of Bilogai after rebels' occupation
The separatist terrorists reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. One health worker, identified as Gabriela Meilan, died while four others sustained serious injuries in the attack.
The House of Representatives approved General Andika Perkasa as Indonesia's next military (TNI) commander in place of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who has reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021.
Before being nominated by President Joko Widodo as the sole candidate for the post of TNI Commander, General Perkasa served as the Army Chief of Staff.
Responding to Perkasa's candidacy, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said the new TNI commander would hopefully improve upon the approaches adopted toward Papuan communities in Papua and West Papua provinces.
The approaches that Tjahjanto applied in the two easternmost provinces have run well, he told journalists on the sidelines of his visit to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, on November 6.
Related news: 282 Kiwirok refugees still at Oksibil's GIDI Church: police
In this regard, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) urged General Perkasa to prioritize approach-based dialogue to address Papua issues.
"We appeal to the Indonesian government or state to use a dialogue for resolving conflicts in Papua," head of Kontras' legal division, Andi Muhammad Rezaldy, said in a statement that ANTARA received early this week.
Rezaldy made the statement at a webinar entitled 'Calculating the New TNI Commander's Commitment to the TNI Institutional Reform', which was streamed on Kontras' official Youtube channel.
An approach-based dialogue has been applied in the past by several Indonesian presidents, including Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), he noted.
The approach adopted by President Gus Dur to resolve Papuan issues had productively contributed to peace, he said. Gus Dur, for instance, changed the name of Irian Jaya province to Papua in 2000, he noted.
Related news: LPSK deployed to Kiwirok to assist violence-impacted health workers
Gus Dur also allowed and provided financial assistance to Papuan figures for holding the Papuan People's 2nd National Congress in March 2000, he noted.
As revealed by past experiences, an approach-based dialogue has proven effective in reducing tensions in Papua, Rezaldy said.
To this end, he appealed to the new TNI commander, government, and all related parties to prioritize approach-based dialogue instead of military intervention for resolving Papua issues.
Military intervention in conflict resolution tends to trigger human rights abuses, he said, adding that approach-based dialogue would be a challenge for General Perkasa.
Last year, the Indonesian Defence Ministry had initiated a focus group discussion in Jakarta to seek solutions to the Papua conflict.
At a discussion forum, held on October 14, 2020, Indonesia's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla, was invited as a guest speaker considering his capabilities and experiences in resolving the Aceh conflict.
Related news: IDI assists healthcare workers surviving Kiwirok's terrorist attack
Kalla argued that, in principle, all violent conflicts can be resolved through peaceful settlement, but each conflict-torn area may demand a different approach.
Regarding the Papua conflict, its resolution may need a different approach from that used in Aceh, he said.
As an initiator of the peaceful resolution to the Aceh conflict, Kalla highlighted the importance of firmly resorting to the basic principle of delivering a win-win solution to achieve an everlasting peace.
In seeking a peaceful solution to an armed conflict, none of the warring parties must feel like a loser or feel their dignity has been lowered, he argued.
Related news: Indonesia, Malaysia agree to open border
Related news: Indonesia, Malaysia ink MoU on strengthening news agency ties
------------------------------
2) Challenges Indonesia's new armed forces chief will need to address
2 hours ago
General Andika Perkasa's sole candidacy for the post of Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) has been approved by the House of Representatives (DPR).
Before being nominated by President Joko Widodo as a candidate for the TNI Commander's post to replace Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who has reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021, Andika Perkasa served as the Army Chief of Staff.
Following the House's approval, according to State Secretary's Special Staff for Communication and Media, Faldo Maldini, General Perkasa would be officially sworn in as the TNI Commander before the end of November 2021.
His appointment as the TNI Commander has come amid ongoing security challenges in Papua and West Papua and an uneasy geo-strategic environment for Indonesia.
Related news: House Commission I approves General Perkasa's candidacy as TNI chief
It is worth noting that Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Papuan separatist terrorists operating in certain areas in the two eastern provinces have continued to pose a security threat in the aftermath of the mass killing of construction workers on December 2, 2018.
On that day, several armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya, who were engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district.
The same day, the armed attackers also killed a soldier, identified as Handoko, and injured two other security personnel, Sugeng and Wahyu.
Such acts of violence have continued this year.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists, operating in Beoga, ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.
Nugraha died of gunshot wounds. On November 7, 2021, or a day after the House's Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defence, approved General Perkasa's candidacy, two soldiers were shot by Papuan separatist terrorists.
The two soldiers survived with gunshot wounds after the separatist terrorists ambushed them in Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district.
Papua's cycle of violence is just a part of challenges the TNI is facing currently. The uneasy geo-strategic environment has also demanded an urgent arms modernization and capability improvement for TNI.
Related news: Challenges await General Perkasa in Papua
In the past few months, the Asia-Pacific region has seen deepening military activity and competition involving regional and extra-regional powers.
Tensions over Taiwan, notably with the large incursions into Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by China's PLAAF in October, have raised concerns of possible miscalculations that can potentially lead to an armed conflict (Reuters, October 2021).
Major naval exercises involving the United States (US) and its allies in the Pacific, including the deployment of a United Kingdom (UK) carrier strike group for the first time in more than a decade, signal greater military attention to the Pacific region, both from regional and extra-regional powers.
This has been followed by the announcement of a new military alliance dubbed AUKUS between the US, the UK, and Australia, which has paved the way for Australia's acquisition of nuclear powered submarines. It has invited unease from regional countries like Indonesia, and further increased fears of an arms race.
The ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea also present a potential flashpoint for further conflict.
While Indonesia is not a claimant in the dispute, China's unilateral 9 dash line claim can potentially affect Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Natuna Sea (Nikkei Asia, June 2020).
This has resulted in incursions by Chinese fishing as well as research and coast guard vessels, the most recent case being the seven-week long incursion by the survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi (Asia Times, October 2021).
Related news: Be wary of Chinese warships entering Indonesian waters: MP
In the backdrop of increased regional tensions, as well as persistent incursions into Indonesia's EEZ near the Natuna Islands, it is evident that modernization and improvement of TNI's capability will be an important task that must be continued by General Perkasa as the new Chief of the Armed Forces.
The geographic condition of Indonesia and the wider Asia-Pacific region, which is dominated by the sea, necessitates increased interoperability between the land, sea, and air services of the armed forces.
Improving this interoperability will increase TNI's capability in responding to potential threats, especially in flashpoints like the South China Sea.
Increased competition in the cyber domain is also one area that must not be overlooked by planners in the TNI.
In the past decade, increased activity in this domain has led to several high profile cases of cyber espionage and cyber-attacks, such as the alleged data theft from the US F-35 fighter jet program by Chinese hackers (The Diplomat, January 2015) as well as interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election by the Russian intelligence agency (Time, April 2019).
Cases of cyber espionage and intrusions have also been reported in Indonesia, with the most recent data from the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) showing over 800 million cases of cyber-attacks between January-August 2021 (CNN Indonesia, September 2021).
Increasing capacity and capability in the cyber domain will be an important task for the new chief of the Armed Forces. The need for this will become more evident as TNI develops its network centric warfare capability.
Integrated command, control, communications, as well as surveillance and intelligence, which will increasingly leverage the cyber domain, must be made secure against possible intrusions and attacks.
Past experiences of other nations have highlighted the high damage that cyber-attacks can inflict upon nations.
Related news: President Jokowi stresses need to stay alert for cyber attack
Related news: Indonesian Cyber Agency to curb rampant cyber attacks
*Rahmad Nasution is an ANTARA journalist
**Muhammad Teguh Ariffaiz Nasution is a graduate of the University of Indonesia's international relations department.
------------------
Before being nominated by President Joko Widodo as a candidate for the TNI Commander's post to replace Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who has reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021, Andika Perkasa served as the Army Chief of Staff.
Following the House's approval, according to State Secretary's Special Staff for Communication and Media, Faldo Maldini, General Perkasa would be officially sworn in as the TNI Commander before the end of November 2021.
His appointment as the TNI Commander has come amid ongoing security challenges in Papua and West Papua and an uneasy geo-strategic environment for Indonesia.
Related news: House Commission I approves General Perkasa's candidacy as TNI chief
It is worth noting that Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Papuan separatist terrorists operating in certain areas in the two eastern provinces have continued to pose a security threat in the aftermath of the mass killing of construction workers on December 2, 2018.
On that day, several armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya, who were engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district.
The same day, the armed attackers also killed a soldier, identified as Handoko, and injured two other security personnel, Sugeng and Wahyu.
Such acts of violence have continued this year.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists, operating in Beoga, ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.
Nugraha died of gunshot wounds. On November 7, 2021, or a day after the House's Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defence, approved General Perkasa's candidacy, two soldiers were shot by Papuan separatist terrorists.
The two soldiers survived with gunshot wounds after the separatist terrorists ambushed them in Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district.
Papua's cycle of violence is just a part of challenges the TNI is facing currently. The uneasy geo-strategic environment has also demanded an urgent arms modernization and capability improvement for TNI.
Related news: Challenges await General Perkasa in Papua
In the past few months, the Asia-Pacific region has seen deepening military activity and competition involving regional and extra-regional powers.
Tensions over Taiwan, notably with the large incursions into Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by China's PLAAF in October, have raised concerns of possible miscalculations that can potentially lead to an armed conflict (Reuters, October 2021).
Major naval exercises involving the United States (US) and its allies in the Pacific, including the deployment of a United Kingdom (UK) carrier strike group for the first time in more than a decade, signal greater military attention to the Pacific region, both from regional and extra-regional powers.
This has been followed by the announcement of a new military alliance dubbed AUKUS between the US, the UK, and Australia, which has paved the way for Australia's acquisition of nuclear powered submarines. It has invited unease from regional countries like Indonesia, and further increased fears of an arms race.
The ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea also present a potential flashpoint for further conflict.
While Indonesia is not a claimant in the dispute, China's unilateral 9 dash line claim can potentially affect Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Natuna Sea (Nikkei Asia, June 2020).
This has resulted in incursions by Chinese fishing as well as research and coast guard vessels, the most recent case being the seven-week long incursion by the survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi (Asia Times, October 2021).
Related news: Be wary of Chinese warships entering Indonesian waters: MP
In the backdrop of increased regional tensions, as well as persistent incursions into Indonesia's EEZ near the Natuna Islands, it is evident that modernization and improvement of TNI's capability will be an important task that must be continued by General Perkasa as the new Chief of the Armed Forces.
The geographic condition of Indonesia and the wider Asia-Pacific region, which is dominated by the sea, necessitates increased interoperability between the land, sea, and air services of the armed forces.
Improving this interoperability will increase TNI's capability in responding to potential threats, especially in flashpoints like the South China Sea.
Increased competition in the cyber domain is also one area that must not be overlooked by planners in the TNI.
In the past decade, increased activity in this domain has led to several high profile cases of cyber espionage and cyber-attacks, such as the alleged data theft from the US F-35 fighter jet program by Chinese hackers (The Diplomat, January 2015) as well as interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election by the Russian intelligence agency (Time, April 2019).
Cases of cyber espionage and intrusions have also been reported in Indonesia, with the most recent data from the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) showing over 800 million cases of cyber-attacks between January-August 2021 (CNN Indonesia, September 2021).
Increasing capacity and capability in the cyber domain will be an important task for the new chief of the Armed Forces. The need for this will become more evident as TNI develops its network centric warfare capability.
Integrated command, control, communications, as well as surveillance and intelligence, which will increasingly leverage the cyber domain, must be made secure against possible intrusions and attacks.
Past experiences of other nations have highlighted the high damage that cyber-attacks can inflict upon nations.
Related news: President Jokowi stresses need to stay alert for cyber attack
Related news: Indonesian Cyber Agency to curb rampant cyber attacks
*Rahmad Nasution is an ANTARA journalist
**Muhammad Teguh Ariffaiz Nasution is a graduate of the University of Indonesia's international relations department.
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