Armed Forces 'big family' told to preserve unity

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)