East Timor gets new military chief

East Timor gets new military chief

DILI, East Timor (JP): The Armed Forces installed on Saturday
Col. Mahidin Simbolon, a rapidly rising Army star, as chief of
the local military command to replace Col. Kiki Syahnakrie.

Simbolon, a 1974 graduate of the National Military Academy in
Magelang, Central Java, has so far spent virtually all his
military years in the Army's elite Special Force (Kopassus).

He is no stranger to East Timor, having served in the former
Portuguese territory several times. In 1992 he headed the
military unit that arrested Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao at his
hideout in Dili, an achievement that later earned him a special
promotion in rank, ahead of the normal schedule.

Before coming here, Simbolon was Assistant for Intelligence to
the Special Forces's chief in Jakarta.

In a military ceremony on Saturday, Maj. Gen. Adang Ruchiatna,
chief of the Udayana Military Command which oversees East Timor,
as well as the Bali and East and West Nusa Tenggara provinces,
installed Simbolon.

The transfer of duty raised some eyebrows because Syahnakrie
has served in the East Timor command for only eight months, while
such a post is traditionally held for two years.

It also comes at a time when the Army is still investigating
the controversial killing of six East Timorese villagers by the
military in the Liquisa regency last January. The Army has
determined that there was a violation of procedures in the way
the local military command handled the affair and that some of
the officers would be court martialled for this.

Adang was quick to deny that the removal of Syahnakrie was in
any way connected with the Liquisa incident.

"Syahnakrie is getting a promotion in his new job at Army
headquarters. He will, in fact, fill a position currently held by
someone of the brigadier general rank," he said.

Syahnakrie will be moving to Jakarta to serve as Operational
Staff in the Army's General Staff.

Adang also denied speculation that Simbolon, with his Special
Forces background, had been picked for the job because the
military is changing its strategy in East Timor. Syahnakrie comes
from the Army's Strategic Reserves Command.

"I think Simbolon deserves the post because his rise to the
rank of colonel was extraordinarily rapid. He deserves it. We
always value those with achievements."

Regarding Simbolon's task, he underlined that the East Timor
military chief will take orders from him and not from the Special
Forces.

Adang also denied press speculations that the deputy chief of
the East Timor command, Col. Gleny Kairupan, would soon be
replaced because Kairupan comes from the military academy class
of 1972, and is, therefore, two years Simbolon's senior.

Col. Simbolon, on a separate occasion, stressed that the
presence of the military in East Timor is solely "to help our
brothers" in developing the province.

Many of the soldiers come to serve here, leaving behind their
families, with only one intention: to help the East Timorese
people, Simbolon told The Jakarta Post.

"It is impossible that the Armed Forces would violate the
humanitarian values Indonesian people believe in. Armed Forces
members come here fully understanding humanitarian values, that
includes respecting the integrity and honor, as well as the
cultures of the East Timor people."

The main objective of the military command in East Timor, "is
to ensure a more peaceful and orderly situation, so that
everybody can work in peace. We hope all East Timor people will
support this objective," he added. (yac/emb)