New Army chief vows to uphold national unity<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri installed on Tuesday Lt. Gen.
\nRyamizard Ryacudu as the new Army Chief of Staff, who vowed to
\nstay away from politics and to maintain national unity at all
\ncosts.<\/p>\n
The appointment of Ryamizard, a 1974 Military Academy
\ngraduate, confirms that some changes in the military are going
\nforward, but it remains to be seen whether he can live up to
\npopular demands for internal reform in the armed forces.<\/p>\n
As if to brush aside public skepticism, Ryamizard, who
\nrelinquished the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) chief
\npost, said he would continue the vision and mission of his
\npredecessor while pledging to restore discipline and
\nprofessionalism in the Army.<\/p>\n
"I shall continue what has been started by my predecessors. We
\nwill return to basics," he told reporters at the State Palace
\nafter his inauguration.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard replaced Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, a 1971 Military
\nAcademy graduate, who is expected to be sworn in as TNI chief on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard stressed that the TNI would stay true to its
\ncommitment of not being involved in politics and matters of
\npower.<\/p>\n
There are currently 38 seats reserved for the TNI and National
\nPolice at the House of Representatives and the People's
\nConsultative Assembly respectively. The military and police
\nrepresentation in the House will be revoked in 2004, and in the
\nAssembly in the next five years.<\/p>\n
"We are consistent, in that the TNI will not be involved in
\npolitics. I myself has never been involved. What is more
\nimportant is to maintain national integrity," he said.<\/p>\n
Discipline, professionalism and solidarity would be his top
\npriorities, he said, and most importantly was to encourage the
\nsense of nationhood among Army members.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard, popularly known as a combatant rather than a
\nstrategist, is one of the generals who has campaigned tirelessly
\nagainst separatist movements in the archipelago.<\/p>\n
He called on the public to maintain a "clear sense of mind"
\nand not to call every security enforcement act a violation of
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
"Don't instantly claim a violation of human rights upon seeing
\nsomeone being shot (by the military), while those who intimidate
\nor say vile words are not even considered human rights
\nviolators," said the outspoken officer.<\/p>\n
He contended that people in the restive areas such as Maluku,
\nAceh and Papua had obviously lost their sense of nationhood as
\nthe ongoing violence was triggered by their lack of nationalism.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard also warned Army officers not to be influenced by
\ntheir ethnicity or religion in such conflicts as they would face
\ndismissal should they become biased in conducting their duties.<\/p>\n
"If they still have strong feelings toward their place of
\norigin, then they should return to their land," he said, adding
\nthat the main task of the Army was to restore discipline.<\/p>\n
In response to Ryacudu's appointment, former defense minister
\nJuwono Sudarsono suggested that the Army play a more important
\nrole in assisting the National Police to maintain security and
\nmost importantly to "support" the civilian government.<\/p>\n
Born in Palembang 52 years ago, Ryamizard is the son of a
\nSukarno loyalist -- Indonesia's first president and father of
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri -- who was also an army general.<\/p>\n
He is married to a daughter of former Vice President Try
\nSutrisno, an ardent (former president) Soeharto supporter.<\/p>\n
Prior to the downfall of former president Abdurrahman "Gus
\nDur" Wahid by his political opponents last year, Ryamizard led a
\nceremony at the National Monument square in Central Jakarta,
\nurging the TNI soldiers to stick together and fight attempts to
\ndrive a wedge between them for certain political interests.<\/p>\n
It was a sudden show of force which took place right in front
\nof the presidential palace ahead of the (People's Consultative)
\nAssembly's Special Session, which brought Megawati to power.<\/p>\n
Many believe that the 2,000 soldiers from the Army, Navy and
\nAir Force, who assembled menacingly along with their heavy
\nequipment, such as dozens of tanks and armored cars, put pressure
\non Gus Dur, who at the time was considering a split of both the
\nTNI and the National Police with his plan to declare a state of
\nemergency.<\/p>\n
A brief on Ryamizard<\/p>\n
Ryamizard Ryacudu, a 1974 Armed Forces Academy graduate, was born
\n52 years ago in Palembang, South Sumatra, and is married to Nora,
\na daughter of former vice president Try Sutrisno.<\/p>\n
To many people, the appointment of Ryamizard to the top Army
\npost comes as no surprise as they believe that he and President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri have an "emotional attachment".
\nRyamizard's father, the late Maj. Gen. Ryacudu, was a loyalist of
\nfirst president Sukarno, who was Megawati's father. Megawati's
\nhusband Taufik Kiemas was also born in Palembang.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard spent most of his military career in the Army's
\nStrategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), from platoon commander in
\n1976 all the way to commander in 2000.<\/p>\n
He completed his Military Academy in 1974. His foreign
\nassignments between 1976 to 1991 included Malaysia, Australia,
\nthe United States and China. He attracted international attention
\nwhen he led the Indonesian Armed Forces delegation to Cambodia in
\n1993 to support the UN peacekeeping force's mission there.<\/p>\n
He was appointed Jakarta Military commander in 1999 to replace
\nLt. Gen. Djadja Suparman.<\/p>\n
In contrast to many generals who engaged in politics, the
\nformer 1999 East Java-based Brawijaya Military commander, would
\nrather concentrate on military exercises in remote areas.<\/p>\n
The Surveillance and Combat Platoon (Tontaipur) -- a fusion of
\nKostrad intelligence units-- was establishment during his
\ncommand.<\/p>",
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