ABRI gets reminder of its duty to people

ABRI gets reminder of its duty to people

JAKARTA (JP): Former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief/defense
minister Gen. (ret.) Maraden Panggabean reminded the military
yesterday of its commitment to struggle for and with the people.

"ABRI should never forget that without the people it doesn't
exist. Without the people, there would be no freedom for
Indonesia," Panggabean said in an interview.

The people never asked for much, he said. During the war for
independence, all they wanted were freedom from colonialism,
dignity, better welfare and education, he added.

"It's important that ABRI remembers these four wishes, and the
sacrifices made to accomplish them. It would be sad if those
sacrifices were all made for nothing.

"I am happy to say that the ABRI I know today still belongs to
the people. What it says and does reflects its commitment to the
people, to safeguarding the country's unity."

Panggabean praised ABRI's current leaders for respecting their
seniors.

Yesterday, he was made an honorary member of Kopassus, the
Army's elite special force, in a ceremony led by outgoing
commandant-general Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto at the red berets'
headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

"The best recognition is one that comes from your
subordinate," said Panggabean, who was Army chief in 1968 before
his promotion to deputy Armed Forces chief the following year.

Born in Tarutung, North Sumatra, on June 29, 1922, he received
his first military training from the Japanese occupation forces
in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, in 1943. The holder of 23 medals of
honor, Panggabean graduated from the Bandung-based Army Command
Staff College (Seskoad) in 1963. Six years earlier, he
participated in the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course in the
U.S.

Panggabean covered nearly all important military operations in
ABRI's history, from the fight against the Darul Islam rebels in
West Java and Aceh, to the East Timor campaign in the 1970s.

He was ABRI chief/defense minister from 1973 to 1978, during
which time he oversaw the first military operations in East
Timor.

Panggabean was also involved in the preparations for the
Trikora campaign to liberate Irian Jaya from the Dutch, and the
Dwikora operations during the "Confrontation" with Malaysia in
1964.

He played a significant role in shaping the New Order
government. He chaired the Second Army Seminar at the Army
Command Staff College in August 1966, which sought to reinforce
the newly established government, revise the Army Tri Ubaya Cakti
doctrine and formulate the strategy for the new Ampera cabinet
under Gen. Soeharto, who assumed power from the nation's first
president, Sukarno.

His military success was coupled with his prominence in
Golkar, first as a member of its Supervisory Council in 1973, and
as its council chairman (1974/1978). After his military service,
he went on to serve as chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council,
before retiring from public life.

Prabowo, who will hand over his Kopassus post to Maj. Gen.
Muchdi PR tomorrow, also presented anti-terrorist wings yesterday
to the Army's Training and Education Command, Maj. Gen. Luhut B.
Pandjaitan, and to Col. Salamat Sidabutar, the chief of the
Wiradharma Military Command in Dili, East Timor.

Luhut received the wings for his role in setting up Kopassus's
anti-terrorist unit, the first of its kind in Indonesia, and
became its first commander. Luhut was also the first Indonesian
to be awarded with antiterrorist wings from Grenzschutzgruppe
Neun (G.S.G.9), the famed antiterrorist German force, in 1981.

Prabowo, who was promoted to chief of the Army's Strategic
Reserves Command (Kostrad) on March 20, later dedicated a statue
of the late Lt. Gen. Sarwo Edhie Wibowo.

Sarwo Edhie led the Army Para Commando Regiment (RPKAD) in
crushing the Indonesian Communist Party after its abortive coup
on Sept. 30, 1965. The regiment has since undergone several name
changes before the present use of Kopassus.

Yesterday's event was highlighted by the launching of Komando,
a book detailing the history of the special force since its
founding in 1952.

Prabowo presented a copy to Mrs. Sarwo Edhie and Mrs. D.I.
Pandjaitan, wife of the late Brig. Gen. D.I. Pandjaitan, one of
the six generals murdered during the coup attempt.

The ceremony was packed with high-ranking military officers,
including Maj. Gen. Johny Lumintang, the Trikora military command
chief, Maj. Gen. Rizal Nurdin, chief of the Bukit Barisan
command, Maj. Gen. Suadi Atma, chief of the Sriwijaya command,
Maj. Gen. Mardiyanto, chief of the Diponegoro command, and Maj.
Gen. Ismed Yuzairi, Kostrad's chief of staff. (lem)