The Military and Islam in Sukarno's Indonesia

Abstract

URING THE PERIOD of Guided Democracy (1957 to i965) the Indonesian armed forces-and the army in particular-served as an important instrument in the resolution of several outstanding national problems. In its military role it checked a major rebellion in the Outer Islands in I958 and ultimately, in i962, brought the insurgents back to recognition of the central government. It was successful in ending the Dlarul Islam rebellions that had been active in several areas of the countryside, in one case for over a decade, by energetic counter-insurgency campaigns. It aided the resolution of the West Irian problem in Indonesia's favor in i962, by mounting preparations for an invasion of the territory and by dispatching numerous pre-invasion commando attacks to signal Indonesian intentions of taking the territory by force if necessary. In the anti-Malaysia campaign from i963 to i965 its regular units guarded the Borneo frontier and its special units gave training to infiltrators and saboteurs who were dispatched to disrupt Malaysia. In the non-military realm the Indonesian army provided officers to operate confiscated Dutch businesses when these were nationalized in I957. Finally, it operated the State of Emergency Administration from 1957 to i963 while martial law was in force throughout the nation and maintained a security watch-dog role thereafter. Throughout the period the army was politically important and regarded as such by the other political participants, including President Sukarno. The army command structure, which paralleled civilian government organization throughout the country, was to all intents the actual government while martial law was in effect. Even after martial law's repeal, the territorial army commands frequently retained controls on political life in many areas, in some cases dominating, and in other cases interfering in, the running of government and the political affairs of the area. Service officers, particularly those of the army, were appointed to administrative positions throughout the governmental hierarchy, thereby giving the military another means of influencing the administration and the political system. Military officers were recognized as a functional group and given 42 seats in the appointed Consultative Assembly the same year. In each cabinet they controlled the portfolios of the defense ministries and several