Military, diplomacy mutually supportive, says Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that the
\nmilitary and diplomacy are mutually supportive, as attested by
\nthe Indonesian campaign in 1962 to win Irian Jaya from Dutch
\nhands.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who as a young Army general commanded the military
\ncampaign, code-named Mandala, in 1962, recalled that it was the
\nmilitary that gave the final push in forcing the Netherlands to
\ngive up its control of Irian Jaya, then known as Irian Barat
\n(West Irian or Dutch New Guinea).<\/p>\n
\"Some people are still claiming that Irian Barat was won
\nthrough diplomacy. Sure they can make the claim...But the fact is
\nthat 11 years of diplomatic struggle did not bear fruit.<\/p>\n
\"It was after Trikora and the military operation that
\ndiplomacy finally brought Irian Jaya into the fold of the
\nIndonesian republic.\" he said at a nostalgic gathering with
\nsurvivors, widows and offspring of the Mandala operation at Taman
\nMini.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands transferred sovereignty over Irian Barat to
\nthe United Nations in 1963 after a long diplomatic battle with
\nJakarta dating back to 1950.<\/p>\n
There were brief skirmishes between Indonesian and Dutch
\nforces in Irian Jaya and in the waters around the territory in
\n1962. But a full scale battle was prevented because the
\nNetherlands agreed at the last minute to surrender the territory
\ninto the care of the United Nations, Soeharto recounted.<\/p>\n
He said he believed that Washington by then had realized the
\nstrength of the Indonesian military and had put pressure on The
\nHague to relent rather than risk a full-scale war.<\/p>\n
Postponement<\/p>\n
Soeharto said he and his troops were all geared up for a full-
\nscale attack when the order came from Sukarno to postpone the
\nplan. \"The men were all ready in their ships and were being
\ntossed about. And we were told to wait in the middle of the sea.\"<\/p>\n
On December, 19, 1961, Sukarno pronounced the Three People's
\nCommand (Trikora): Foil the Netherland's plan to establish a West
\nPapuan State; launch national mobilization to seize Irian; and
\nhoist the Indonesian flag in Irian Barat.<\/p>\n
Soeharto recalled that he was given the task of heading the
\ncommand on January 1962, and was given an Aug. 17 deadline to
\ncomplete the job. \"I had only six and a half months to prepare
\nthe force.\"<\/p>\n
He said he accepted the job on condition that he was given
\nfull access to other services in the military to put together a
\nforce involving the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, now 74 years old, said he recruited some of the
\nfinest men in all the services to help him in the Mandala
\noperation. He cited as examples Admiral Subono, Marshal Leo
\nWattimena, Gen. Ahmad Winatakusumah, General Tahir and Admiral
\nSudomo. There was also a young captain by the name of Benny
\nMoerdani, he recalled.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said he himself departed for the battleground on July
\n15, on the same day that his youngest son was born. \"So I named
\nhim Tommy Mandala Putra.\"<\/p>\n
He described the operation as successful with the minimum
\nnumber of casualties. \"Around 200 soldiers died.\"<\/p>\n
Soeharto, upon the completion of the operation, set up a
\nfoundation called Yayasan Trikora which has since taken care of
\nthe 121 widows and the 325 orphaned children.<\/p>\n
The foundation funded the education of the orphaned children
\nall the way to college. \"Now only seven of those children are
\nstill at college and they will all graduate this year,\" Soeharto
\nsaid. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-diplomacy-mutually-supportive-says-soeharto-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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