MOST OF TNI'S SERVICE HOUSES OCCUPIED BY RETIREES : COMMANDER

Jakarta, Jan 26 (ANTARA) - Indonesian Military (TNI) commander General Djoko Santoso said around 77.5 percent of the TNI's service houses were currently occupied by retirees or their relatives.

"Only 22.5 percent is occupied by active TNI members," he said after a TNI leadership meeting at his headquarters here on Tuesday.

In view of that , he said, the TNI would continue with its efforts to put the situation in order as proof of its responsibility for state assets.

More than that, the efforts were also being made with a view to promoting TNI members' professionalism. "The basic needs of the soldiers have to be fulfilled so that they can carry out their main tasks as professional service members," he said.

He said a lot of TNI service houses had changed functions such as being used as an office, a business or had been rented out. "This is not right and therefore we will put it in order," he said.

Djoko said the TNI had always acted according to the law with regard to returning the function of the houses including sending notifications to the unrightful dwellers and in the execution.

"Even the TNI has given a tolerance by allowing retirees to stay in the houses for a certain period of time before they buy a house. But this has been misused," he said.

To solve housing problems for retirees, he said the TNI had built 500 units of houses for retirees in Cileungsi, Bogor, as well as provided a rented apartment for active soldiers in cooperation with the ministry of public housing.

Efforts to vacate the houses by security units are often challenged by the dwellers leading up to clashes.

In the past two weeks two clashes occurred in Jakarta following efforts to vacate the official houses.