Armed Forces 'big family' told to preserve unity

JAKARTA (JP): The chief patron of the Armed Forces "Big Family" (KBA), Gen. Wiranto, called on the military and its related organizations to preserve unity on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after addressing the opening ceremony of a two-day KBA meeting, he said a close relationship between military organizations should be maintained in this era of reform.

"The Armed Forces (ABRI) and KBA have such a historically close relationship. It must be maintained now that the nation is undergoing a serious and prolonged economic crisis," said Wiranto, who is also the minister of defense and security/Armed Forces (ABRI) commander.

KBA is made up of four military related organizations which are also linked to the dominant Golkar party. Other Golkar allies include the Civil Service Corps (Korpri) and several mass organizations.

ABRI, together with six other mass organizations, merged and formed Golkar in 1964 in an effort to overcome the increasing influence of the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Threats of division among junior and senior KBA members emerged last July, immediately after Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung won Golkar's chairmanship race on July 11, defeating former minister of defense Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat.

Akbar's victory was strongly protested by Edi's supporters, mostly members of the Armed Forces Veterans Association (PEPABRI) and the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI), who accused the government and ABRI officials of intervening in the election process in Akbar's favor.

Some members of PEPABRI and FKPPI then helped to form Barisan Nasional (National Front), a group of opposition figures.

Wiranto said the family members' common commitment to unity should be upheld and renewed.

"Otherwise, the KBA will be vulnerable to disintegration," he said. (imn)