Controversy as Sjafrie given key defense post<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday a major reshuffle
\nthat has seen Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen.
\nSjafrie Sjamsoeddin take up the key post of secretary-general.<\/p>\n
The appointment of Sjafrie, who has been linked to human
\nrights violations in Jakarta and East Timor, comes as defense
\nminister Juwono Sudarsono steps up efforts to restore full
\nmilitary ties between Indonesia and the United States.<\/p>\n
A decree on the reshuffle, signed by President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono late on Wednesday, also assigned Juwono to take over
\nthe work of outgoing director general of defense planning Mas
\nWidjaja, pending the appointment of his replacement.<\/p>\n
Defense ministry spokesman A. Aziz Manaf, who unveiled the
\nreshuffle, would not disclose the reason why the President was
\nkeeping the post vacant. Indra Djati Sidi, currently the director
\ngeneral of primary and secondary education at the Ministry of
\nNational Education, was earlier assumed to be a candidate to fill
\nWidjaja's shoes.<\/p>\n
As a result of the reshuffle, Maj. Gen. Dadi Susanto, who is
\nintelligence assistant to TNI's chief of general affairs Vice
\nMarshal Wartoyo, was named director general of defense strategy,
\nreplacing Maj. Gen. (ret) Sudrajat. Dadi was the defense attache
\nat the Indonesian Embassy in the U.S. in 2000.<\/p>\n
The director general of defense empowerment at the defense
\nministry, Rear Marshal Pitter Watimena, was shifted to the
\nDirectorate General of Procurement, replacing Maj. Gen. (ret)
\nAqlani Maza. Pitter's old post went to Brig. Gen. Suryadi.<\/p>\n
\"The reshuffle was conducted in coordination with the ministry
\nand TNI headquarters.\" Aziz said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the structural appointments, Juwono also picked
\nbusinessman Adnan Gantoe and former National Resilience Institute
\ngovernor Lt. Gen. (ret) Sofyan Effendi as his economic and
\nmilitary advisors respectively.<\/p>\n
Juwono will install the new officials on Friday.<\/p>\n
Adnan Gantoe is an Aceh native who now runs Morgan Bank, while
\nSofyan once served as Aceh military commander.<\/p>\n
Rights activist Usman Hamid of the National Commission for
\nMissing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the
\nreshuffle was a reflection of the government's failure to promote
\ninternal reform within the military.<\/p>\n
\"It has maintained the impunity for controversial military
\nofficers with poor human rights track records,\" Usman said,
\nreferring to Sjafrie.<\/p>\n
Sjafrie was the Jakarta military commander when the capital
\nwas hit by ethnic riots that led to the ouster of former dictator
\nSoeharto in May 1998. Thousands died in the rampage. Sjafrie also
\nserved in East Timor when widespread violence broke out after the
\nautonomy plebiscite in 1999.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the criticism, Sjafrie said: \"It doesn't matter.
\nThe public will see who is right. The most important thing for me
\nis that the accusations have never been proven, even outside a
\ncourt.\"<\/p>\n
He said he would focus on helping the ministry draw up broad
\nnational defense policies.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of House Commission I for defense Effendy
\nChoirie expected Sjafrie's appointment would not affect
\nIndonesia's efforts in seeking the lifting of the U.S. arms
\nembargo, which has been in effect since the Santa Cruz cemetery
\nmassacre in Dili, East Timor in 1991.<\/p>",
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