Hendro promoted to Lt. General

JAKARTA (JP): The newly inducted Secretary of Development Operations A. M. Hendropriyono has had his military ranking raised to lieutenant general.

Hendro, former chief of the Jakarta Military Command, reported his promotion to the Armed Forces chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung yesterday.

Also reporting promotion to Feisal were Hendro's predecessor Maj. Gen. (ret.) Tuk Setyohadi, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dadad Kustiwa and Brig. Gen. (ret.) Saffrudin Bahar, Antara reported.

The three were retired when their military rankings climbed, making them the second group of retirees to receive the honors after Soesilo Soedarman and Azwar Anas who became retired generals due to their appointments as cabinet ministers in 1993.

Hendro, 51, once seen as a promising military star, was given the civilian job last December after serving the Army Training School in Bandung, West Java since 1994.

His new position at the State Secretariat brings him closer to the center of power because he is responsible for assisting the President supervise development programs.

Hendro holds a masters degree in business administration and is an undergraduate of the Jakarta-based Military Legal Institute.

He spent most of his military career in the Army Special Forces.

Tuk was given a new post in the State Secretariat. So was Safruddin who is one of experts in the staff of Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.

Dadad is now the operational director at the state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom. (amd)