Crash victims buried with honors
JAKARTA (JP): All 12 victims of Thursday's helicopter crash in the mountainous Viqueque regency in East Timor were given military funerals in separate ceremonies yesterday.
Chief of Udayana Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Yudomo Sastro Suhardjo and three other victims were buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta, in a ceremony chaired by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.
The other three were chief of the Wira Dharma Military Command in East Timor Col. Salamat Sidabutar, assistant for intelligence affairs to the Udayana Regional Military Command Chief of Staff Col. Pangandaran Napitupulu, and Lt. Col. Simson G. Sigar, a member of the East Timor Military Command.
Another victim, co-pilot Capt. Mawi Asmawi, was buried at Bekasi Heroes Cemetery, 35 kilometers east of Jakarta. Assistant for operations to the Udayana Military Command Chief of Staff Col. Satria Buana was buried at Cikutra Heroes Cemetery in Bandung, West Java.
The pilot of the helicopter, Capt. Kusmayadi, and flight technician Chief Sgt. Supardi were buried at Giri Tunggal Heroes Cemetery in Semarang, Central Java, while flight technician First Sgt. Sutarjo was buried at Klaten Heroes Cemetery, Klaten regency, also in Central Java. The three were buried immediately after Friday prayers.
The spokesman for the East Timor Military Command, Capt. Muhammad, was buried at Bima Heroes Cemetery, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara
"Capt. Muhammad was buried at Bima Heroes Cemetery after Friday prayers," deputy chief of the Bima Military District, Maj. John Arifin, said as quoted by Antara.
John said Muhammad's body arrived at Salahuddin Airport from Dili, East Timor, at 10:30 a.m. local time and was taken immediately to Bima Military District headquarters where his colleagues paid their last respects.
Later yesterday, the body of chief of the East Timor Rajawali Special Task Force Col. Djody Kusuma Priyambodo, was buried at Maj. Gen. Sungkono Heroes Cemetery in Surabaya. The military ceremony was led by Chief of Staff of the East Java Brawijaya Military Command Brig. Gen. Syamsul Maarif.
Present at the ceremony were former superiors and friends of Djody, including Chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Second Division Maj. Gen. Ryamizard and Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon.
The last victim, Second Lt. Arifin, who was Yudomo's adjutant, was brought to Bandung yesterday. There was no information about his funeral while the Armed Forces could not be reached for comment yesterday.
President
The bodies of Yudomo, Sidabutar, Napitupulu, Sigar and Asmawi arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta yesterday afternoon. President B.J. Habibie was on hand to receive the bodies and offered comfort to the bereaved families.
Also present were chief of the Armed Forces Staff and Command School Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and chief of the Jakarta Military Command Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
The helicopter crash occurred at 10:21 a.m. local time in the mountainous Viqueque regency, 197 kilometers east of Dili, immediately after the aircraft took off from Liaruca.
Yudomo and his 11-man entourage were on a three-day working visit to several East Timor towns and villages following his appointment as head of the Udayana Regional Military Command on May 27.
In a related development, Bambang Soeriawan, head of the Helicopter Production Department at state-owned aircraft maker IPTN, denied reports that the Bandung-based company manufactured the ill-fated chopper.
"We do not produce Bell-205s, only Bell-412 helicopters," he told reporters covering the visit of Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Bill Skate to the company. (imn/nur/43)