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Ministry seeks to set up own spy division

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Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry is developing an intelligence body, aiming to obtain information to build strategic policy. The body, which is set to become effective from 2017, will comprise military officers and civilians.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said the ministry must have its own intelligence body as it often created strategic policy based on current events. "So if we make a certain policy, people will not question where we got the information," he said.

Ryamizard said that during the New Order before 1998, the commander of the military was also the defense minister. The two institutions, therefore, had only one intelligence division. In the Reform after 1998, the ministry separated from the military, although it still supervises the latter.

The ministry has promulgated the plan to related institutions, such as the National Police's Security Intelligence Agency (Baintelkam), the military's Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) as well as the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

The new intelligence division would be an expansion of the existing National Strategic Installation Agency (Bainstranas), which is currently tasked with coordinating regional security forces. Based on the Defense Ministry website, it has begun restructuring Bainstranas to become an intelligence body.

The ministry has also firmly stated that the new body will not take over the duties of other intelligence bodies, such as BAIS, BIN and Baintelkam. Moreover, the defense intelligence body would be part of the intelligence community under BIN's supervision but would focus more on state defense strategy.

"The defense intelligence body needs to cooperate with all intelligence agencies from other ministries and government institutions based on Law No. 3/2003 on state defense," Bainstranas head Maj. Gen. Paryanto said recently.

Al Araf, a military expert, said the idea to establish a defense intelligence body was appropriate as long as the government also restructured BAIS, which is currently under the military commander's supervision.

"Without restructuring BAIS, the defense intelligence body and BAIS would have overlapping tasks and coordination, because both of them tackle defense issues," Al Araf said.

According to him, as Indonesia is a democratic country, BAIS should be under the Defense Ministry rather than the military commander, particularly as the agency focuses on strategic intelligence. "The military commander should focus more on combat intelligence in their divisions and units," he said.

Currently, the military has its own combat intelligence service in each of its divisions – the Navy, Army and Air Force. They also have intelligence units within battalions.

Al Araf acknowledged that it might be difficult and would take time to restructure BAIS as any plans would involve many defense players. However, the restructuring should be comprehensive, so that each intelligence body could work effectively, he added.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/07/ministry-seeks-set-own-spy-division.html.