Da Costa denies plan to move HQs to W. Timor
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.