Some Things Are More Important Than The Right Thing

TNI‘s decision to transfer Brigadier General NA to C-in-C staff is rather confusing and anticlimactic. The chance to see him in jail slipped away from our fingers.

The fire sparked by widely-known animal shelter Rumah Singgah Clow back in August. In their viral Instagram post stated “We received pictures and videos of cats gunned down to death, some survived with broken jaws in Sesko TNI area, Bandung”. The images posted are so graphic, it enrages everyone who sees it until today. The shooting attracted high profile personalities such as Congresswoman Meutya Hafid and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, and Mayor of Bandung Yana Mulyana.

Numerous animal rights organizations and Indonesian social media personalities condemned the infamous slay. Animal rights organization AHS Indonesia even held a big rally at the weekly Car-Free Day event in Dago, Bandung, to protest the long list of animal abuse cases done by the Indonesian military.

The news arrived to Gen. Andhika, the commander of the Armed Forces, his first response was to command his subordinate to conduct internal investigation. This move appreciated and loved by many as it showed the responsiveness of the TNI. Or was it?

As the media storm of the incident kept growing, TNI Headquarters later issued a statement which said the killer, a brigadier general from the Marine Corps — annoyed with the presence of the cats and decided to shoot some using his own air rifles, as they were ‘causing inconvenience’ in the area. A short time later, it became public knowledge that NA is the Dankorsis (Komandan Korps Siswa) of Sesko TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces Staff and Command School). TNI admits that one of their soldier violated one of the Animal Welfare act.

Earlier this month, Gen. Andhika transferred military officers from three branches of the TNI, Army (AD), Navy (AL), and Air Force (AU). Referring to the Decree of the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Kep/818/VIII/2022 about Dismissal and Appointment in Position within the Indonesian National Armed Forces, as much as 109 high-ranking officers were transferred. The letter was signed by the Kasetum TNI Brigadier General Rochmatullah on behalf of the Commander on August 29.

In the decree, Brigadier General NA is included in the list of the officers that were transferred. He was transferred from his previous position as Dankorsis Sesko TNI to the C-in-C staff. The position left by NA will then be occupied by Marsma Bonang Bayuaji, who previously held the Dandenma TNI Headquarters. It is little known whether this transfer is related to the shooting or not. The TNI did not provide any explanation in regard to this.

It was difficult to think when the Commander of the Armed Forces get himself involved in this case to gain the spotlight. But it is understandable knowing that Gen. Andhika — who lowkey harbors presidential ambition for the next election — is currently trying to elevate his public profile among Indonesian people including taking personal command of this case. Publicity is important as ever to him — if not more so.. It also confuses people as the Commander now has a staff that should have been in trial for violating the law.

For context, the 2024 presidential election is getting near and Andhika is currently trying to get into the presidential candidate battle. As per today, he is currently unpopular compared to several prominent figures such as Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. But the table still can be turned as in Indonesian politics, publicity plays a role more than ideas and personal values.

Slipped Away

This news is anticlimactic when the public clearly wanted NA to be jailed. It feels like you are holding something tight, then slipped away from our fingers all of a sudden. Imagine a criminal case when the suspect caught and admitted, the people wanted him confined, the law and punishment is also clear, and we don’t even able to put him in trial. We are struggling to comprehend a career-related positional transfer as a form of punishment.

Transferring military members does not seem to be an appropriate punishment and solution for this case, especially when positional transfer is a normal thing in TNI. The latest one is the second transfer happening on this year. According to their website, positional transfers within the TNI are carried out in order to meet the organizational needs and career development of TNI soldiers.

Animal abuse is a crime under Indonesian law, which spells out abuse, neglect, and abandonment of an animal, or cases where the accused caused the serious injury or death of an animal could lead to nine months confinement. It appears that the TNI didn’t take this matter seriously. We haven’t seen formal gestures and apologies both from the TNI as institution and Brigadier General NA himself, and they are simply failed to regain public trust.

NA should have been in prison as anyone hoped and imagined. Or at least we should have heard of his trial. Instead, he is now working directly under the C-in-C. This is just unfair, true. But just like dr. Vogelbaum said in The Boys: “Some things are more important than the right thing” and we have just seen it.

Many feral cats still roaming free at Sesko TNI, where Indonesian military personnel lives. After the shooting incident, a growing number of volunteers feed and conduct trap-to-relocate stray cats in the area.