New Army chief vows to uphold national unity

Annastashya Emmanuelle and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri installed on Tuesday Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu as the new Army Chief of Staff, who vowed to stay away from politics and to maintain national unity at all costs.

The appointment of Ryamizard, a 1974 Military Academy graduate, confirms that some changes in the military are going forward, but it remains to be seen whether he can live up to popular demands for internal reform in the armed forces.

As if to brush aside public skepticism, Ryamizard, who relinquished the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) chief post, said he would continue the vision and mission of his predecessor while pledging to restore discipline and professionalism in the Army.

"I shall continue what has been started by my predecessors. We will return to basics," he told reporters at the State Palace after his inauguration.

Ryamizard replaced Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, a 1971 Military Academy graduate, who is expected to be sworn in as TNI chief on Friday.

Ryamizard stressed that the TNI would stay true to its commitment of not being involved in politics and matters of power.

There are currently 38 seats reserved for the TNI and National Police at the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly respectively. The military and police representation in the House will be revoked in 2004, and in the Assembly in the next five years.

"We are consistent, in that the TNI will not be involved in politics. I myself has never been involved. What is more important is to maintain national integrity," he said.

Discipline, professionalism and solidarity would be his top priorities, he said, and most importantly was to encourage the sense of nationhood among Army members.

Ryamizard, popularly known as a combatant rather than a strategist, is one of the generals who has campaigned tirelessly against separatist movements in the archipelago.

He called on the public to maintain a "clear sense of mind" and not to call every security enforcement act a violation of human rights.

"Don't instantly claim a violation of human rights upon seeing someone being shot (by the military), while those who intimidate or say vile words are not even considered human rights violators," said the outspoken officer.

He contended that people in the restive areas such as Maluku, Aceh and Papua had obviously lost their sense of nationhood as the ongoing violence was triggered by their lack of nationalism.

Ryamizard also warned Army officers not to be influenced by their ethnicity or religion in such conflicts as they would face dismissal should they become biased in conducting their duties.

"If they still have strong feelings toward their place of origin, then they should return to their land," he said, adding that the main task of the Army was to restore discipline.

In response to Ryacudu's appointment, former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono suggested that the Army play a more important role in assisting the National Police to maintain security and most importantly to "support" the civilian government.

Born in Palembang 52 years ago, Ryamizard is the son of a Sukarno loyalist -- Indonesia's first president and father of President Megawati Soekarnoputri -- who was also an army general.

He is married to a daughter of former Vice President Try Sutrisno, an ardent (former president) Soeharto supporter.

Prior to the downfall of former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid by his political opponents last year, Ryamizard led a ceremony at the National Monument square in Central Jakarta, urging the TNI soldiers to stick together and fight attempts to drive a wedge between them for certain political interests.

It was a sudden show of force which took place right in front of the presidential palace ahead of the (People's Consultative) Assembly's Special Session, which brought Megawati to power.

Many believe that the 2,000 soldiers from the Army, Navy and Air Force, who assembled menacingly along with their heavy equipment, such as dozens of tanks and armored cars, put pressure on Gus Dur, who at the time was considering a split of both the TNI and the National Police with his plan to declare a state of emergency.

A brief on Ryamizard

Ryamizard Ryacudu, a 1974 Armed Forces Academy graduate, was born 52 years ago in Palembang, South Sumatra, and is married to Nora, a daughter of former vice president Try Sutrisno.

To many people, the appointment of Ryamizard to the top Army post comes as no surprise as they believe that he and President Megawati Soekarnoputri have an "emotional attachment". Ryamizard's father, the late Maj. Gen. Ryacudu, was a loyalist of first president Sukarno, who was Megawati's father. Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas was also born in Palembang.

Ryamizard spent most of his military career in the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), from platoon commander in 1976 all the way to commander in 2000.

He completed his Military Academy in 1974. His foreign assignments between 1976 to 1991 included Malaysia, Australia, the United States and China. He attracted international attention when he led the Indonesian Armed Forces delegation to Cambodia in 1993 to support the UN peacekeeping force's mission there.

He was appointed Jakarta Military commander in 1999 to replace Lt. Gen. Djadja Suparman.

In contrast to many generals who engaged in politics, the former 1999 East Java-based Brawijaya Military commander, would rather concentrate on military exercises in remote areas.

The Surveillance and Combat Platoon (Tontaipur) -- a fusion of Kostrad intelligence units-- was establishment during his command.