TNI formally closes Dili military district command<\/p>\n
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nformally closed the military district command in Dili, East
\nTimor, on Thursday, ending a process that began in October.<\/p>\n
Udayana Military Chief Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri led the
\nemotional ceremony to dissolve the Korem 164 Wira Dharma, calling
\non servicemen, including those of East Timorese origins, to be
\nproud of being part of Indonesia and the Army.<\/p>\n
Kiki, who served a total of 11 years in East Timor, said the
\nwithdrawal was not planned but a consequence of East Timor's vote
\nto reject the wide-ranging autonomy offer from the Indonesian
\ngovernment in August last year.<\/p>\n
\"Despite reports of unfairness, Indonesia recognizes the
\nballot results because we respect democracy,\" Kiki said in the
\nceremony held at the East Nusa Tenggara military district
\ncommand\/Korem 161 Wira Sakti.<\/p>\n
Kiki also announced the dissolution of the 745th Infantry
\nBattalion, one of the two battalions which served in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The 744th Battalion will be retained and put under the Udayana
\nCommand which oversees Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara, and
\nuntil October last year, also East Timor.<\/p>\n
Kiki called on the 744th members to live up to the exceptional
\nachievements of their predecessors.<\/p>\n
\"The 744th has an outstanding past in the history of the TNI,
\nand in the Army in particular. Its special team, Somodok (green
\nsnake in Tetun, the local dialect), was a legend and there was no
\none in the Army who did not know of its reputation,\" said Kiki
\nwho was deputy commander of the 744th and Dili commander in 1994.<\/p>\n
The battalion's most noted achievement was the killing in 1978
\nof Nicolao Lobato, president of FRETILIN, the militant East Timor
\npro-independence group.<\/p>\n
\"It was not bravery, skills or a comprehensive mastery of the
\nbattle field that earned the 744th its past glory. Although they
\nwere all important, it was discipline that helped make it a
\nlegend in the history of the Indonesian Army,\" Kiki said.<\/p>\n
Kiki called on the 744th members to accept the Falintil, who
\nwere their former enemies, as friends.<\/p>\n
\"When I met Taur Matan Ruak last year, I told him I respected
\nhim although he was my former enemy and despite our differences
\nin view. I respect him because he is consistent in his struggle
\nand continued the guerrilla fight,\" said Kiki.<\/p>\n
The dissolved Dili command comprised around 7,000 personnel,
\nincluding 1,194 civilians. Some 1,790 have been redeployed to
\nother commands in East and West Nusa Tenggara and Bali.<\/p>\n
Another 792 soldiers and 516 civilian employees, all of East
\nTimor origins, decided to return to East Timor.<\/p>\n
Col. M. Noer Muis, the last chief of the Dili command, did not
\nhide his sadness.<\/p>\n
\"We are all sad and all members of the Korem were very
\nemotional about this. For many of us, East Timor was home and we
\nhad built our lives and families there. It was not easy to just
\ncut loose that kind of emotional attachment. That was the hardest
\npart of the whole process,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Many are also impatient for compensation after losing their
\nbelongings during the hasty withdrawal from East Timor in
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
With only one week notice to evacuate, many members of the
\ncommand did not have time to pack their belongings and left
\neverything they had worked for behind.<\/p>\n
Kiki said the Army leadership would fight to ensure that
\nformer Korem members and their families would be properly
\ncompensated and recalled his talks with Minister of Defense
\nJuwono Sudarsono on their flight from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"He promised to find a solution,\" Kiki said.<\/p>\n
Juwono was in Kupang on Wednesday to meet with Sergio Viera de
\nMello, chief of the United Nations Transitional Administration in
\nEast Timor (UNTAET), and discuss border security.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, President Abdurrahman Wahid assured de Mello on
\nThursday that he would remove pro-Indonesia East Timor militias
\nand their military supporters from the border of East Timor and
\nWest Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab said the government
\nwould resettle the militias to other provinces.<\/p>\n
De Mello told the President that there had been several
\nincursions into East Timor by some small but well organized
\ngroups from the border.<\/p>\n
\"Move them away from there, demobilize them,\" he pleaded.
\n(lem\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tni-formally-closes-dili-military-district-command-1447893297",
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