Depok military now under Jakarta's command

DEPOK (JP): The Siliwangi Military Command overseeing security and order in West Java formally handed over its supervision of the Depok military district here to the Jakarta Military Command on Tuesday.

The handover, based on a written order dated May 5, 1999, and signed by Indonesian Military (TNI) Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, was carried out in a ceremony at the Depok military district office.

Administration-wise, Depok -- located south of the capital -- is still under the control of West Java authorities.

The Jakarta Military Command has indeed already overseen two military resorts with seven military districts, including Tangerang and Bekasi, both of which are administratively still under the jurisdiction of West Java authorities.

After the ceremony, Siliwangi Military Commander Maj. Gen. Purwadi said handover of the Depok military district to Jakarta would help its personnel to handle security and social affairs in the area effectively and instantaneously.

"It, for example, will speed up the personnel deployment of the Depok military district (to the capital).

"Moreover, Jakarta has developed quickly, and we have predicted more complex security and social matters will be faced by both Jakartans and also neighboring inhabitants such as those living in the satellite cities of Depok, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, in the future," the two star general said.

Accompanied by Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman, Purwadi said Depok personnel had been unofficially transferred to Jakarta since April last year. He said their transfer was to help secure Jakarta ahead of the special session of the November 1998 People's Consultative Assembly and the recent general election.

"Since April last year, the Jakarta Military Command had command authority to deploy Depok military district personnel in field operations, while Siliwangi Military Command only managed personnel administration," he said.

The Tuesday ceremony, which was attended by scores of high- ranking officers from both neighboring provinces, was to legalize the system, Purwadi said.

He said the belated announcement was mainly due to the limited time required by TNI to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the handover.

His counterpart, Djadja, said his command had experienced difficulties under the previous scheme in which his institution only had the right to deploy Depok personnel, but had no authority to, for example, evaluate their performance.

"We only deployed them, but personnel promotion, for example, was still under the authority of Siliwangi Military Command. Now, we manage both operational and administrative matters of Depok military district personnel," he said.

Since Tuesday's ceremony, the Depok military district is now under the supervision of Wijayakarta military resort under the Jakarta Military Command.

The Wijayakarta military resort, led by Col. George Toisutta, also oversees three other military districts: East Jakarta, South Jakarta and Bekasi.

The city's other military resort called Wijayakrama military resort, led by Col. Tritamtomo, oversees North Jakarta, West Jakarta and Tangerang military districts.

Central Jakarta military district is directly under the supervision of the Jakarta Military Command.(asa)