Psychological Warfare To Disintegrate The Indonesian Unity

The Background Story.

Recently  (August  2017) in the You Tube of Internet there was the information on the review of  the conflict of idea and  confrontation between Lt Gen.Prabowo (Commander of Kostrad)  and Gen. Wiranto  (Commander of TNI)  concerning the handling of the security situation in Jakarta in 1998.

The  review of the respective history  has been mainly  focused on  the decision of  President BJ Habibie to cancel the job  of Lt Gen. Prabowo  as Commander of Kostrad and  the dismissal of   Lt Gen. Prabowo from the Army as the response  to  the demand of the Officer Honorary Council  (Dewan Kehormatan Perwra )  led by Lt Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhono (1998).

Definitely  the review on  the history on  the  conflict between those  high level  TNI leaders  in the You Tube  was responded by Maj Gen Kivlan Zen, the former Chief of Staff of Kostrad  when Kostrad was led by Lt Gen. Prabowo.  In his statement May Gen Kivlan Zen   said that Gen Prabowo did not make  mistake  in his prediction on the  security situation of Jakarta,   but Gen. Wiranto as the Commander of TNI at that time  (1998)to be  the actor  who was in fact  organizing the  riot. This statement was published in the   printed social media to reject the publication of You Tube.

Another media was adding actually Lt  Gen. Prabowo, Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and  Gen. Wiranto to be actually the class mate when they were in the National Military Academy  in Magelang but with different record.

The review of the old  record  on  the  story of the internal conflict  of the  TNI  Leadership in 1998 in You Tube after almost twenty years later has been surprising.  A  number  of  retired  TNI and Army Officers un officially  were of the opinion the review  of the story of the famous conflict  among those high level of TNI leadership  in the You Tube to be believed definitely  created  by a certain group  of the enemy of the Republic of Indonesia or those which do not like those respective General to re-unite again. SBY as the Chairman of Democratic Party, Prabowo as the Chairman of Gerindra  Party and Wiranto as the Coordinating Mnister of Political, Law and Security Affairs was the former leader of Hanura Party.

They realize  that they should  communicate and to coordinate  with  each other to calm down the heating political situation.  On the contrary the  objective of those  group   who review the old story  of those conflicting  generals in the You Tube  to be  definitely  the effort  to destroy the unity among the Indonesian nations and the Army Retired Officers who are active to lead the political parties.  The review of the old  story on  official conflict between Lt Gen. Prabowo (as Commander of Kostrad) and Gen Wiranto (as Commandr of TNI) and Lt Gen SBY (Chief Staff on Socialand Political Affairs of TNI Headquaters)  happened in 1998 is predicted as the  effort to play off   those former  high ranking TNI leadership and various political groups in the Indonesian  nation now.

Incidentally Lt Gen Prabowo is the only potential rival of  President Jokowi in the Presidential Election in 2019. Gen Wiranto is considered as the  strong  supporter of President Jokowi since he was the Chairman  of Hanura Party. Apparently Gen Prabowo has shown his mature political leadership  and no impact likely affected by the review of those past history. He kept quiet he realized  this is the political and psychological warfare  as the mean to downgrade his political  reputation.

Psychological Warfare of the Potential Enemy.

The expose of this very new background  stories  are expected to awake up   the people of this country that the Psychological  Warfare  is one of the sharp weapons  faced by the people of Indonesia  to defense  and  to protect  the Indonesian unity.

The review of the past history concerning the conflict among  those   important  Army Generals  (1998) involving Gen Prabowo, Gen Wiranto and Gen SBY is not the only surprised information reviewed  in the You Tube of Internet to day (2017).

The issue released by Novel Baswedan that  in the attack using chemical liquid on his face  to be  involved one Police General has also appeared in You Tube (July-August 2017) with the picture of one the famous Police General but without mentioning the name. This kind of crazy information  are  apparently not new in the You Tube. It has been long time many complaints to have been raised why that kind of public presentation could happen openly without any Government  preventive action.

Recently likely based  on  intensive  investigation the Police says that it is  strongly indicating  now that  a business Syndicate  called “Saracen” has been active in distributing various hoax news, hated statement  and false information   created by  various group  of persons to be spread out among the society using the modern technical equipment on publication namely  the cyber technology such as You Tube. The hoax, hated speech and false information have been distributed  and  to be definitely intended  to play off groups of Indonesian society based on the Tribe diversity, different character of among  the religion, race and  various groups in the society.

The business Syndicate of “Saracen” in its activity  to publish and  to distribute  the hoax, hated statement  or false  information   among  the society  “Saracen” were  asking  the Sponsor or the User of the hoax and the hated statement  the big many for the reward. This indication tend to be temporarily concluded by the  Police  as if the activity of the Syndicate of  “Saracen”  is a business activity.

However political and security analysis tend to conclude this psychological warfare of activity is the embryo of  the  “subversive activity” to weaken and to disintegrate the Country of Indonesia. This activity is definitely should be  demolished and to be forbidden applied in Indonesia.

Analysis tend to conclude   the chain of this business operation is  comprising of :

@ The manager who run the   Cyber Organization of Saracen included its background idea and its Brain Master .@ Cyber Unit  infra  structures   such as You Tube, Face Book  utilized by this group. @The Sponsor or the User or to be definitely the groups of the potential enemy of the Country of Indonesia. @ The Collector of  Hoax and false issdue  requested by  the Sponsors. Some analyst also called  the “Buzzer” it is likely similar to the Sponsor and the collector of the issues.

Accordingly it is likely true that President Jokowi  instructed the  Police to cover up and to demolish totally this subversive embryo activity :

1. The Business Syndicate  of “Saracen” and its Brain Master.
2. The Cyber organization concerns.
3. The Sponsor, the User or the Customer of this business and their background interest
4. The Political and Security Objective  to be believed existing  in  this Phenomena.
5. To cover up the other Syndicate which has the similar business  activity of the  Syndicate  of “Saracen”

It is definitely President Jokowi to have been likely touched his sense of political and security  feeling as one of his main mission to protect the national stability of this country. He believed the impact of this business activity is  endangering  the national  unity. Accordingly definitely President Jokowi wants this dangerous  activity should be firmly  demolished and legally processed.

The Impact and the influence  of  Information.

The objective of the Government is definitely to prevent the spread out of hoax and hated  statement among the society. The Government interest is definitely to maintain and to keep the strong  unity among the Indonesian nation. For this purpose the government is trying seriously to prevent the society of consuming the hoax and hated speech.

Accordingly  the essential problem of the case of the Syndicate of “Saracen” is to stop this kind of business activity   to prevent  the intended  distribution  of hoax, hated speech and  false information among the society. The business activity of the Syndicate of “Saracen”  is really unique and based on modern thinking in term of the idea and the operational management of this business. It is expected the activity of the Syndicate of “Saracen” is really based on business interest considering the development of the advertisement needed by the various  economic  business in the society.  We could see it clearly  in  the  Internet  how is the  special medicine to make a man becoming stronger in his intercourse with his wife is offered openly in the internet now. It is definitely the pornographic advertisement that should not be published.

However it is also expected the case of the Syndicate of Saracen is not the part of Psychological  Warfare  Operation of the Potential  Enemy of the Country of Indonesia in its effort to disintegrate the unity of the People of Indonesia.

Referring to the speech of Commander of TNI General Gatot Nurmantyo in his oration in front of the Student of the University of  Trisakti  that it is apparently our country is surrounded by the potential enemies who want to control our national resources existing in all around the Country of Indonesia. One of the way to control the national resources in Indonesia is to provoke the  rise of  the regional fanaticism  among the regional societies and the will to separate  from the Republic of Indonesia supported by foreign power that are ready to move from various strategic places which have surrounded  the country of Indonesia.  Accordingly it is true the exclamation of President Jokowi  hearing to the report on the Syndicate of “Saracen” just  only  said shortly  “It is very terrible”.

The Counter Information is needed by the society.

Definitely the Government has to counter the  circulation  of  hoax, hated speech and  those wrong information among the society with correct and credible information.

Various Government is of the opinion that the Ministry of Information is needed to regularly inform the people what happened internationally and domestically and how should  the respective Government  to overcome the impact of the respective  un-intended  development. Unfortunately during wartime the Ministry of Information had changed to become the Ministry of Agitation and Propaganda to awake the Spirit of War. Also in the authoritarian Country the function of the Ministry of Information  is  for the agitation and propaganda of the  One who is in power.

During  the New Order Era  the Ministry of Information  under Minister Harmoko   was  unfortunately  considered as the mean for the political agitation and propaganda to support  personally President Soeharto. Definitely this is not true , because the New Order Government was working based on the National Guide Lines of the National Development Program (GBHN) decided and control by the People’s Consultative  Assembly (MPR).

However in the Reform Era to day  the Ministry of Information was changed the scope of its function to become the Ministry for Communication and Information.   The  general  interpretation  of  this  scope of function is to establish the supervision on  the implementation  of information technology included  Cyber Technology and to perform  the Information Service for the Society.

Realizing this scope of function the Ministry of Communication and Information is likely enough to cope with the problem  of the Business Syndicate of “Saracen”.  However so far there was no any response of the Ministry of Communication and Information to the case of the Business Syndicate “Saracen”  happened recently.

Accordingly  in line with the case of “Saracen” Commission  One  of  the House of Representative is likely reminding the Ministry of Communication and Information about the plan of the foundation of BSN (The National Cyber Body), as the  important technical information  infrastructure  to  control  the   activity  of  Cyber Communication in Indonesia.

Another  idea as  the  additional  mean for the information service of the Government  it  could be also likely   to  widen  the mission of the Cabinet Secretary  to be  the Government  Information Briefer  who is regularly  conveying  the information briefing for the public on the national and international situation faced and responded  by the Cabinet.

The very recent incidence between Indonesia and Malaysia, it is very urgent to be briefed the  society what  is the Indonesian Government  position to prevent the circulation of hoax created by  the  third  group to play off  the Indonesian  and Malaysian  Countries.

The Information Management.

Definitely all the information concerning the activities of the Cabinet,  also  personally  the activity of President Jokowi and all the Ministers in line with their respective jobs  and activities are definitely important to be released  directly because it  will  neutralize all hoax and false information spreading out in the society to discredit the Government.

Accordingly the regular briefing of the Cabinet Secretary as the  Government  Information Briefer  is consider   necessary. Definitely this agenda does not  copy the New Order Government  tradition but  to brief people with correct information  regularly  is definitely necessary. The Cabinet Secretary should be assigned as the Regular Briefer after the Cabinet Meeting without waiting for the possible Cabinet reshuffle.

To face that kind of “Saracen” activity the Ministry of Communication and Information should   urgently arrange   all the necessary infrastructure  to  control the Cyber Information and Communication System  activities developed in Indonesia.

*) Lieutenant General (Ret) Soedibyo, Political and Security Observer.