Lt. Gen. Soeyono given key post at defense ministry

JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Gen. Soeyono, the former Armed Forces Chief of General Affairs, was installed as secretary-general of the Ministry of Defense and Security yesterday.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto led the ceremony in which he also installed four other first-echelon ministry officials.

Once a high-profile officer, Soeyono virtually disappeared from the public scene after he was removed from his ABRI job prematurely in August 1996 shortly after a massive riot in Jakarta at the end of the previous month.

Many military observers said then his army career was finished.

"It's a blessing from God the Almighty that I'm still being entrusted by the ABRI leadership to give my services to the state," Soeyono told Antara when asked to comment on his new appointment on Wednesday.

Soeyono replaced Lt. Gen. (ret) Sugeng Subroto.

The other new appointments are:

* Lt. Gen. Yusuf Kartanegara, formerly assistant for intelligence to ABRI chief of general affairs, as inspector general. He replaced Lt. Gen. (ret) I Putu Soeranta.

* Maj. Gen. Bachrul Ulum as director general for General Planning and Budgeting. He replaced Rear Admiral (ret) Yusuf Effendi.

* Maj. Gen. Albert Thomas Paruntu as aide for foreign policy. He replaced Rear Admiral (ret) Sunardi.

* Rear Admiral Bambang Purwadi as aide for special affairs. He replaced Maj. Gen. (ret) Bekkar Saleh.

Antara reported on Wednesday that Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, the former Wirabuana Military Commander overseeing Sulawesi, will be appointed governor of the National Resilience Institute, ABRI's think tank and promoted to lieutenant general.

The post is currently held by Lt. Gen. Sofyan Effendi. (emb)