The security forces and regional violence in Poso

Abstract

The term 'security forces' in this chapter refers to the Indonesian national military (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI), the Indonesian national police (Kepolisian Republik Indonesia, Polri), and intelligence institutions such as the national intelligence agency (Badan Intelijen Negara, BIN), the three institutions that carry out the security and order functions in Indonesia. Violence under the pretext of ethnic and religious conflict has actually created an opportunity for the security forces to restore their image and privileges, which had declined sharply since the start of Reformasi in 1998. First, the violence in Poso has given rise to a significant security force presence in the area. The deployment and addition of organic troops, and the expansion of territorial commands or of other security institutions on the same level, all prove that the security forces have succeeded in forcing the civilian government to bow to their institutional interests. Keywords: Indonesian national military (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI); Indonesian national police (Kepolisian Republik Indonesia); national intelligence agency (Badan Intelijen Negara); Poso; regional violence; security forces