Government essays

Indonesian Military/Government essays From the advent of the New Order government in Indonesia in the mid 1960s, the main role of the ABRI was to control or suppress movements which threatened to breakaway from, or otherwise undermine an authoritarian, centralized government structure Discuss this claim considering the period up to the 1980s. The Indonesian military, known as the ABRI had become a bastion for governmental stability in Indonesia since the retreat of its Dutch colonial masters. The birth of a politically and ethnically fragmented Indonesian nation state saw the ABRI provide a much-needed sense of national institution and stability. The stability provided by the ABRI was provided by a range of forces and capabilities. This included overt military force, internal security operations, economic management, and direct political influence. While providing this stability the use of these forces also enhanced and confirmed the militaristic and authoritarian nature of Indonesian government. This essay will address the role and operations of ABRI in suppressing any factions that would oppose the desired stability of Jakarta. The violent revolutionary birth of Indonesian politics created a realm where civilian input was overshadowed by the Indonesian military. The ABRI was always seen as the provider of the nations independence and therefore a necessary component of government. This is reflected in the basic structure of both the legislative and executive branches of Indonesian government. In that the military has a formal position of influence instead of a voting ability of individual members of the military. During the Sukarno era prior to the 1960s, the ABRI was used to reinforce the Guided Democracy regime, with its use of martial law and inclusion into government affairs. This direct ABRI representation continued into the Suharto era, including numerous senior military officers holding ministerial positions within the Suhart...