Kopassus troops remain high-spirited: Syahrir

Kopassus troops remain high-spirited: Syahrir

JAKARTA (JP): The Army's Special Force's (Kopassus) troops
remain high-spirited and unaffected by the ongoing investigation
into some of their officers' alleged involvement in the abduction
and torture of political activists, the force's chief said
yesterday.

Kopassus' commandant general Maj. Gen. Syahrir M.S. said
Saturday his men are conducting their activities as usual.

"The Kopassus troops' morale remains high... their loyalty to
the country and the nation remains the best," Syahrir said.

He declined to comment on the ongoing investigation being
carried out by the Officers Honor Council on three Kopassus
senior officers -- former Kopassus chief Lt. Gen. Prabowo
Subianto and his successor Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono, and
former chief of Kopassus intelligence operations Col. Chairawan
-- for their alleged role in the abduction of activists.

Syahrir also declined to comment on the ongoing investigation
into 10 other lower-rank Kopassus members, currently in the
military police's custody, for their alleged direct involvement
in the abductions.

Similarly, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Wiranto and chief of the Honor Council Gen.
Subagyo Hadisiswoyo were reluctant to comment on the ongoing
investigation.

"Just wait for our announcement," Wiranto said.

"We'll continue questioning the three Kopassus senior officers
after the commemoration of Indonesia's 53rd anniversary of
independence (yesterday)," Subagyo, who is also the Army's chief
of staff, said separately.

Subagyo announced Friday that the council would recommend that
Prabowo be court-martialled for his alleged involvement in the
abduction and torture of activists.

Syahrir, who replaced Muchdi last May, dismissed speculation
that the recent revelations of various abuses allegedly committed
by Kopassus has led to a plan to reorganize Kopassus into three
groups.

"There's no plan to remove the antiterrorist group from our
organizational structure, either," he said.

Kopassus currently has five specialized groups. The present
structure is the result of reorganization in June 1996.

Group I, based in Serang, West Java, deals with combat
operations; Group II, with similar combat specialty, is located
in Kartasura, near Surakarta, Central Java; and Group III, which
deals with education and training, is based in Batujajar near
Bandung, West Java.

Kopassus' Group IV for intelligence operations and Group V for
antiterrorist operations are both based in Cijantung, East
Jakarta.

Before the reorganization, Kopassus was divided into three
groups plus the Detachment '81, which was considered the most
elite unit within Kopassus. (imn)