From the days of strongman General Suharto, who kept a potent military close at hand as he reshaped the country over three decades from the 1960s, the armed forces have never been far from the levers of control in Indonesia.

But this formidable power generated a dark side, with the military implicated in atrocities across the Southeast Asian nation as Jakarta asserted its authority.

The past few years have seen Indonesia's military appear to take a lower profile, drawing a line under the past and presenting themselves as servants of the people.

But, say analysts, their strength has not waned and recent court rulings clearing senior officers of past misdemeanours are a sign they can still exert influence as Indonesia prepares to select its next leader.

Last month, human rights court convictions were overturned against four Indonesian security officers accused of violations during East Timor's 1999 bloody breakaway from Indonesia.

Among those cleared was Major General Adam Damiri, the highest-ranked officer charged in connection with the violence which left at least 1,400 dead.

The decision provoked sharp criticism from the US State Department which said it was "profoundly disappointed" by the verdicts that meant no Indonesian security officers charged over East Timor will serve time.

"This is the form military supremacy takes," said Hendardi, of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association. He said the verdicts reflect the pervasive military role in Indonesia's political and legal system.

"This just proves they are strong."

The human rights court in Jakarta is also to rule Thursday on Major General Sriyanto Muntarsan, now head of the army's Kopassus special forces, charged over killings in Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port area 20 years ago.

Troops under the command of Muntarsan, who faces 10 years in jail, are alleged to have opened fire on a crowd, killing at least 10 people.

Last Tuesday, the same court acquitted a retired general, Pranowo, of charges that he failed to stop his men torturing Muslim activists detained after the Priok shooting.

Hendari said the recent verdicts were part of the military's efforts to cleanse its reputation for abuse developed during the rule of Suharto, who stepped down in 1998.

"If they say they don't play politics anymore, it's just a slogan," he said.

Indonesian military and police officers still sit in the current People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest constitutional body, although this is scheduled to replaced by an elected body later this year.

But both at home and abroad the Indonesian military is taking visible steps to maintain influence, seeking to restore ties with the United States which were almost completely severed over events in East Timor, and take advantage of new legislation.

Controversy surrounds a military bill under consideration by Indonesia's House of Representatives. Hendardi and Arbi Sanit, a University of Indonesia political science lecturer, fear it would strengthen the military's role.

Sanit says the bill would revive the military's Suharto era "dwi fungsi" or dual function role allowing soldiers to hold certain government posts. Soldiers are currently required to retire before joining the civilian structure.

The bill also confirms a "territorial" role of the military, giving the armed forces a countrywide presence.

"The territorial function is opposed by civil society because it creates a state within a state," Sanit said.

Armed forces spokesman Colonel Ahmad Yani Basuki calls the bill "part of our reform commitment" and insists the military tries to be politically neutral.

"We no longer have the door to return to politics," he said.

Basuki said armed forces commander General Endriartono Sutarto rejected invitations to be a vice-presidential candidate, proof that the military intended to "permanently abandon its involvement in day-to-day politics."

Hendardi said military influence has been strong on civilian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and nothing will change if retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wins when the two contest a September 20 presidential vote.

"It's just the same," he said. "He is extremely tied up with military interests."

Sanit said the military is "riding a wind" that will blow even stronger with a Yudhoyono victory.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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