Prabowo defends May 22 actions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Prabowo Subianto, the Army lieutenant general
\nPresident B.J. Habibie accused this week of deploying troops
\naround his residence the day after he assumed the presidency in
\nMay, said on Friday he took the action as part of his duty to
\nprotect the new head of state.<\/p>\n
In a statement read by close friends, Prabowo, who is
\ncurrently in Jordan, said the troop concentration \"was in line
\nwith the instruction from the Armed Forces (ABRI) top brass\".<\/p>\n
\"All troop mobilizations were continuously reported to the
\nupper command,\" identifying the latter as the Jakarta military
\ncommander.<\/p>\n
Prabowo was removed from his post as chief of the Army's
\nStrategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) on May 22, only one day
\nafter Habibie assumed the presidency from strongman Soeharto.<\/p>\n
His abrupt removal was never satisfactorily explained, but on
\nMonday Habibie disclosed the \"concentration of troops\" around his
\nhouse by Prabowo. He said he asked ABRI chief Gen. Wiranto to
\nremove the troops as soon as he learned of the situation.<\/p>\n
Prabowo, a son-in-law of Soeharto, was reassigned to a less
\nsignificant position in Bandung on the evening of May 22 and
\ndischarged from the Army in August following the investigation
\ninto his role in the abduction of political activists.<\/p>\n
Habibie's disclosure, before a forum of Asian and German
\njournalists on Monday, upset Prabowo's family and friends, some
\nof whom accused the President of slander.<\/p>\n
Several politicians have also demanded an official
\ninvestigation, saying Habibie virtually accused Prabowo of
\ntreason.<\/p>\n
Wiranto on Friday played down the significance of the troop
\nconcentration, stressing that many ABRI units from outside had
\nbeen redeployed in the capital before the May 14 riots to keep
\nstability and order in the city.<\/p>\n
All troops deployed were under the control of the Jakarta
\nmilitary commander and the Jakarta Police chief, Wiranto told
\nreporters in Bandung.<\/p>\n
ABRI chief spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif separately said
\nthat besides Kostrad troops, there were other units brought into
\nJakarta at the time on Wiranto's orders, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Syamsul corrected Habibie's military terminology, saying it
\nwas a \"consolidation\" rather than a \"concentration\".<\/p>\n
Prabowo's account of his actions in May was presented at a
\nmedia briefing held at Regent Hotel in Central Jakarta by Farid
\nPrawiranegara and Fadli Zon of the Crescent and Star Party. Also
\npresent were Achmad Sumargono of the Indonesian Committee for
\nWorld Muslim Solidarity and Jannus Hutapea, corporate secretary
\nof Tirta Mas, the widely diversified business group controlled by
\nPrabowo's younger brother Hashim Djoyohadikusumo.<\/p>\n
In his letter dated Feb. 19, Prabowo said he deployed his
\nKostrad troops in May to support the military operation to
\nprotect strategic sites in the capital, including to ensure the
\nsafety of Soeharto and Habibie.<\/p>\n
Fadli urged Habibie to meet with Prabowo to clarify the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
\"History should not be written by the winning general (only),\"
\nhe said, quoting a Russian phrase.<\/p>\n
Jannus suggested that Habibie invite Prabowo for a meeting.
\nThe latter is conducting business for Tirta Mas in Amman.<\/p>\n
Habibie's disclosure and its implications have distressed the
\nentire Prabowo family, including his father, economic guru
\nSoemitro Djoyohadikusumo, Jannus said.<\/p>\n
Soemitro is in Australia for a medical checkup and will return
\nnext week. Hashim, who has been in Europe since Feb. 6 in his
\ncapacity as Habibie's roving ambassador to Europe, will return
\nhome on Wednesday. (01\/43)<\/p>",
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