Ryamizard considers replacing Bukit Barisan military chief<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said he was
\nconsidering replacing Maj. Gen. Idris Gassing, the current chief
\nof the Bukit Barisan Military Command overseeing North Sumatra,
\nWest Sumatra and Riau, in the light of the Binjai incident, which
\nhe said had badly tarnished the image of the Army.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard also said he was considering the possible
\ndisbandment of the Army airborne battalion stationed in Namo
\nSira-sira, near Binjai, some 30 kilometers north of Medan, the
\ncapital of North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\"I'm considering replacing him (Idris Gassing). But it will
\nalso depend on the results of the ongoing evaluation of the
\nincident,\" he said after a rehearsal for the celebration of the
\nIndonesian Military's 57th anniversary here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Six commanders of the battalion were replaced on Wednesday
\nwhile 20 soldiers involved in the bloody attack on the Langkat
\nPolice Station and Mobile Brigade headquarters on Sept. 27, which
\nkilled five police officers, one soldier, and two civilians, were
\ndishonorably discharged.<\/p>\n
The assault was triggered by the police's refusal to release a
\ndetained drug trafficker whose business was backed up by the
\nbattalion's soldiers.<\/p>\n
The Army chief explained that whether Idris would be punished
\nor not depended on his responsibility for the incident. He
\n(Idris) would be replaced should such an action be recommended
\nfollowing the ongoing evaluation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, TNI commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said
\nseparately that the airborne battalion had been disbanded for the
\ntime being but whether the disbandment would be permanent or
\ntemporary would depend on the evaluation.<\/p>\n
\"All measures taken in light of the incident must be based on
\nthe (military) law,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the Army was still investigating the incident
\nand was looking into its root cause so as to avoid similar
\nincidents in the future.<\/p>\n
During the evaluation, he said, the evaluators were expected
\nto inquire into the frequent clashes between Army and police
\npersonnel, and the separation of authority between the two
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on the practice of servicemen holding part-
\ntime jobs to gain additional income, Endriartono said soldiers
\nwho could not survive on their current pay should leave the
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Slamet Supriadi, chairman of the Indonesian
\nMilitary\/National Police faction in the House of Representatives,
\nsaid the dismissal of the 20 soldiers and the replacement of the
\nairborne unit's leadership did not resolve the main problems.<\/p>\n
\"The root problems are the education of soldiers, the
\nmilitary's judicial system, discipline, recruitment and the
\nwelfare of soldiers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the qualifications required by the Army and the
\npolice for new recruits.<\/p>\n
\"It will only be possible to make soldiers comply with both
\nmilitary and civilian law if they are better paid,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Binjai incident had raised new problems not only for the
\nmilitary but also for the public at large.<\/p>\n
\"Civilians should not seek protection from either the police
\nor the military to back up their businesses because this could
\nlead to conflicts similar to the Binjai gunfight,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Given its new paradigm, the question of whether the military
\nwould become a small organization or a big institution would
\ndepend on the people and the (country's) leaders, he said.<\/p>",
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