TNI TO FOLLOW UP PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON SERVICEMEN'S NEUTRALITY

Jakarta, Jan 30 (ANTARA) - National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Gen Djoko Santoso said he would soon follow up President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement on Thursday that certain individuals in the TNI and National Police (Polri) might be engaged in practical politics.

The president made the statement when addressing participants of TNI and Polri leadership meetings at the State Palace. He said he had received information that a number of top TNI and Polri officers had joined the "success" teams of certain presidential candidates.
"The president himself does not believe the information. Still, I have to take note of the matter and discuss it with TNI officers to determine whether the information is true," Santoso said here Friday.
Speaking to the press after dedicating the TNI's new Center for Strategic Studies, Santoso said the TNI high command would more intensively watch over servicemen's off-duty activities to ensure their neutrality in accordance with a commitment the TNI leadership had made in 2004.
He said TNI's decision to remain neutral in political affairs was final, and therefore its personnel would not side with any political party or presidential candidate.
"In 2004, the TNI decided to be neutral, not to engage in practical politics, and not to support any political party or presidential candidate," the TNI chief said.
Asked whether sanctions would be imposed on TNI personnel who were not neutral, Santoso said the TNI already had a mechanism and procedures to take action against violators of the neutrality rule.
"We will see how things develop, whether we need to form a TNI Officers Ethics Council (DKP). After all, the information about officers engaged in practical politics still has to be verified. But a sure thing is that the president's warning about the TNI's neutrality has reminded me to remain on guard," Santoso said.
On a separate occasion, Army Chief of Staff Gen Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo said he would soon instruct all regional military commanders to take heed of President Yudhoyono's statement about TNI neutrality.
"I will warn all military commanders not to consider lightly the TNI's need to be neutral," Agustadi said after opening an Army leadership meeting here on Friday.