Da Costa denies plan to move HQs to W. Timor

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Maj. Gen. William T. da Costa, chief of the Udayana Military Command overseeing security in Bali and West and East Nusa Tenggara, denied on Wednesday reports that its headquarters would be relocated to West Timor.

"The reports are big lies. It has certainly been released by certain people who hate me and, then, spread," he was quoted by Antara as saying in Denpasar, Bali.

"I have been rumored not only to become a king in East Nusa Tenggara but also to be a governor in the province. Rumors are really not true. I have no ambition of becoming anything," an emotional da Costa said.

The plan to relocate to East Nusa Tenggara was first revealed last Friday by Kupang's 161 Wirasakti Military Commander Col. Inf. Moeswarno Moesanip and East Nusa Tenggara Vice Governor Johanis Pake Pani.

They said the planned relocation was a good decision considering that East Nusa Tenggara bordered Australia and the newly independent East Timor.

"For the sake of national defense, I find it suitable for a military command as a TNI strategic compartment to be established in Kupang," Moesanip said in Kupang, NTT.

Incumbent Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who would soon replace Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo Adisutjipto, also spoke about the planned relocation during a recent fit and proper test at the House of Representatives.

But da Costa said the military and government leaders had no plans to relocate from its current base in Bali.

"The military does not plan to move the military headquarters ... beefing up the number of battalions in the province has not even been talked about ..."

He said the current two battalions of troops would still be enough to guard the border area between West Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

Da Costa dismissed any possible security threats to Indonesia from East Timor after Indonesia's former territory officially became the world's newest nation on May 20.

"I know it precisely that East Timorese people would not attack us. On the contrary, they feel extremely friendly toward Indonesia.

"I was one of those accompanying (President) Mrs Megawati (Soekarnoputri) during her recent visit to East Timor. I saw East Timorese people showing their enthusiastic attitude towards the presidential entourage," he said.

"Moreover, when I took a walk in several locations in Dili, many people there asked to shake hands while saying 'how are you Pak'."

Military and defense analysts have criticized the plan, which they said was a spontaneous reaction to East Timor's independence.

They said that instead of moving the Udayana Military Command, which would only harm the country's image, the TNI would be better off solidifying its line of command which often overlaps.