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)