Relative to Indonesia's size, its armed forces are one of the smallest in the world, but the political influence they hold bears little relation to their numbers.

Uniformed and retired officers hold positions in the bureaucracy, parliament and the presidential cabinet; whilst a nation-wide command network takes the military to the grass roots of civilian life.

Alongside responsibility for national defence, the Indonesian constitution guarantees the army a political role, making it an almost unrivalled organisation for mobilising Indonesia's 200 million-strong population.

Military backing for former President Suharto was being questioned

Historically the army views itself as instrumental in the struggle for independence against the Dutch, and in overcoming the political chaos that ended President Sukarno's rule in the mid-sixties.

Indonesia's first president was removed following an attempted coup in which the Communist Party of Indonesia, then one of the largest in Asia, was implicated.

Guardians of national stability

Today the armed forces call themselves the guardians of national stability and, in the first article of the soldier's oath, new recruits swear allegiance to the unitary state of Indonesia.

As Indonesia wrestles with a period of intense political and economic instability, the role of the military could still prove crucial.

No other group matches its resources and geographical reach, but exactly how it will exert its influence remains unclear.

The majority, including some of the top brass, like Generals Wiranto, Prabowo and Yudhoyono, now come from a younger generation of professional soldiers.

Some of these feel that the army's political role has diverted resources from pressing security issues, leaving Indonesian military capabilities lagging behind those of its neighbours.

Others quietly express discomfort at being associated with what they viewed as the corruption and privilege of the Suharto family.