REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BALIKPAPAN -- Chief of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) General Nurmantyo has called on the nation to maintain the unity and integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
"The country's integrity is facing a real threat now. This should be prevented as early as possible," he said while speaking during a leadership meeting of Golkar Party here, Monday.
Indonesia is rich in natural resources and fertile. Its location is strategic, and it has the second longest coastal line in the world. Therefore, it has become a target by other countries, he noted.
Several countries have envied Indonesia for its natural wealth and potential. If the Indonesian people do not protect and maintain the nation, something unexpected could happen, he remarked.
He cited the disintegration of the Soviet Union into 15 countries and Yugoslavia into seven countries as examples.
"There are also countries that have been devastated, such as Afghanistan and Syria," he stated.
Indonesia has a heterogeneous population, including various tribes with multiple local languages and traditions, from Sabang (Aceh) until Merauke (Papua).
We should respond to our diversity positively and consider it our strength, he asserted.
"Since its Proclamation of Independence, Indonesia is still intact within the frame of NKRI, thanks to Pancasila, which is its state ideology," he affirmed.
He also cited drug trafficking, radicalism, terrorism and social media intervention as threats to the integrity of the country.
Drugs can target young men and the nation will lose its potential younger generation, he revealed.
"Currently, some five million Indonesians are drug users," he noted, adding that the actual number could be more.
The social media can also be a bad influence on the future of the nation, because information is entering gadgets without filters, he added.
He said political parties, including Golkar, could play a significant role in urging the Indonesian nationals to maintain unity and integrity of NKRI.
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