Wiranto apologizes for bloodshed during MPR Session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security\/Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto apologized on Monday for
\ncasualties caused in the course of the General Session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and the victims who have
\nand are receiving treatment in hospital.<\/p>\n
\"I sincerely apologize for those who are the victims in the
\ncourse of the General Session. I ask all of my men and police
\nofficers here to pause for a moment and pray for them,\" Gen.
\nWiranto said before bowing his head in prayer prior to an
\nofficial ceremony for withdrawing troops deployed to safeguard
\nthe General Session.<\/p>\n
At least nine people, including three students and one police
\nofficer, were killed in clashes between protesters and security
\npersonnel in the capital and in the southern Sumatra province of
\nLampung.<\/p>\n
Wiranto officially declared the start of the withdrawal of
\n12,000 police and military officers from outside Jakarta, who
\nwere deployed across the capital to help safeguard the General
\nSession.<\/p>\n
\"To all of the brave heroes who have fearlessly safeguarded
\nthe capital during the General Session, you will see your homes
\nagain in a month,\" Wiranto told the 12,000 officers gathered in
\nthe eastern parking lot of the Senayan Sports Stadium in Central
\nJakarta on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
The declaration was made in a grand ceremony, which marked the
\nfirst step taken by TNI and the National Police to withdraw
\ntroops in the capital.<\/p>\n
The 12,000 troops were part of some 60,000 security officers
\ndeployed to safeguard the General Session.<\/p>\n
The number of troops deployed was down from last year, when
\n78,000 security force members were safeguarding the Special
\nSession of the MPR in November.<\/p>\n
The operation, code-named Mantapbrata VI, started 45 days
\nbefore the Assembly's General Session and will continue until a
\nmonth after it ends.<\/p>\n
Those deployed to secure the capital included troops from the
\nArmy's Special Force (Kopassus), Army Strategic Reserves Command
\n(Kostrad), Navy Elite Marine troops, the Navy's West Fleet
\n(Armabar), Air Force Operations Command (Koopsau), National Air
\nDefense Command (Kohanudnas), Air Force special troops (Paskhas)
\nand the Elite Police Mobile Brigade.<\/p>\n
The troops withdrawal began on Monday evening. The first batch
\nof troops to be returned were soldiers and police officers from
\nJambi, Bengkulu and West Java.<\/p>\n
\"The withdrawal process will be done in three gradual steps,
\nand by late November, most of you will have reached your
\nhometowns.\"<\/p>\n
Despite the fact there was no elaboration on the steps to be
\ntaken or a specific time given for when troops would be back
\nhome, calm and weary officers instantly started smiling at one
\nanother.<\/p>\n
\"The rest of the 12,000, comprising police and military, will
\nstill be deployed in the capital until we are absolutely sure
\nthat the capital is a safe place to live in.\"<\/p>\n
Those present at the ceremony, which did not last more than 30
\nminutes, included Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo, National
\nPolice chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm.
\nAchmad Soetjipto, chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command
\n(Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, city police chief Maj. Gen.
\nNoegroho Djajoesman and City Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja
\nSuparman.<\/p>\n
Members of the 700-seat MPR elected Muslim scholar Abdurrahman
\nWahid as president on Wednesday and chairwoman of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri as vice president the following day.<\/p>\n
They also endorsed the 1999\/2004 State Policy Guidelines
\n(GBHN).(ylt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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