Major TNI reshuffle announced

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) unveiled on Friday the third major reshuffle within eight months of the new government.

A total of 122 middle and senior officers with several notable figures in the Army, including five regional military commanders, the Army's territorial assistant and Army's Special Force (Kopassus) commander, were promoted, rotated or given no assignments ahead of their retirement.

According to a decree signed by TNI Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. on June 14, the reshuffle took effect on June 1.

The previous major reshuffle took place last November, following the inauguration of the Cabinet of President Abdurrahman, which included three active generals. The second happened at the end of February, which many speculated was a move to weaken the camp of former TNI chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

The latest shake-up in the military came on the heels of circulating rumors of a conspiracy involving a group of Army and civilian figures to accelerate their promotion in TNI for their interests. TNI top brass, including Widodo, denied the rumors.

But Friday's reshuffle raised many eyebrows as one name linked to the group, Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi, vacated his post as the territorial assistant to Army chief of staff. He was moved to the TNI Headquarters as an unassigned officer.

Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief of staff Maj. Gen. Sang Nyoman Suwisma was named Saurip's replacement.

A document on the alleged conspiracy says Saurip hosted the group's gathering on April 16, which he clarified later as a meeting to celebrate his promotion.

Other figures named in the document, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, Kostrad chief Lt. Agus Wirahadikusumah and former secretary of government supervision Bondan Gunawan dismissed the reports.

The latest TNI shake-up also saw the much-awaited removal of Maj. Gen. Syahrir M.S. as the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) commander. He was given a low-key assignment as the operational assistant to the Army chief of staff.

Brig. Gen Amirul Isnaini, previously the deputy to the Army assistant of security affairs, won the promotion to fill the top post in the elite force.

There were changes in five regional military commands, including those overseeing the restive provinces of Maluku and Aceh.

The Patimurra Military commander overseeing Maluku, Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela, was replaced by Col. I Made Yasa from Bali. Yasa will join Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Dewa Astika, of Balinese descent, who is in charge of security in the riot-stricken territory.

Tamaela was promoted as the commander of the Army's Center for Territorial Affairs. President Abdurrahman Wahid said he intended to remove Tamaela in January this year, due to complaints of alleged siding with one of the warring groups in Maluku.

Maj. Gen. Affandi, chief of the Bukit Barisan Military Command overseeing Aceh, North and West Sumatra and Riau, was replaced by Maj. Gen. I Gede Purnawa, also a Balinese Hindu. Affandi will be assigned as a House of Representatives legislator representing the TNI/National Police faction.

Joining Affandi at the House will be Maj. Gen. Slamet Supriyadi, who relinquished his post at Siliwangi Military Command overseeing West Java. Maj. Gen. Zainuri Hasyim, the current chief of the Tanjungpura Military Command overseeing Kalimantan, will take over from Slamet.

Zainuri will hand over his post as Tanjungpura Military Command to Maj. Gen. Djoko Besariman, the current commander of the TNI Staff and Command School.

Djoko will transfer his nonterritorial post to Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, the current chief of Diponegoro Military Command overseeing Central Java. Brig. Gen. Sumarsono will fill in Bibit's shoes.

Another major change included the promotion of Maj. Gen. Amir Sembiring as chief of the Army Training School from his current position as the operational assistant to the Army chief of staff.

The highest ranked officers affected by the reshuffle were Navy deputy chief of staff Vice Adm. Mudjito, who is entering retirement, and Army Training School Commander Lt. Gen. Sumardi.

Mudjito will be replaced by Rear Adm. Indroko Sastro Wiryono, the current commander of Navy Western Fleet.

TNI spokesman Rear Air Marshall Graito Usodo, before distributing copies of the reshuffle document to journalists, said the shake-up was merely aimed at complying with the organizational needs and personnel development in TNI.

Meanwhile in Surabaya, Widodo played down the massive reshuffle, saying it was just a regular tour of duty without any political motives behind it.

"Reshuffles in TNI are not an extraordinary thing and it could happen anytime. There is no need to speculate on it," Widodo told Antara.

He asserted that the shake-up was conducted according to the standard procedures in the military and were a part of TNI's efforts to enhance professionalism among soldiers. (dja)