Prabowo promoted to command Kopassus

JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief Gen. Hartono announced yesterday that Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto would become the commanding officer of the newly-restructured army special forces, Kopassus. Prabowo would also be promoted to major general.

"The decree on Prabowo's promotion...has been signed and he will officially become the permanent chief of Kopassus," Hartono said after seven other high-ranking army officers reported for their promotions. He said the ceremony to promote Prabowo would be held later this month.

In June the elite forces were restructured; from three groups to five. There was speculation over who would lead the elite forces as the favored Prabowo had not been promoted to major general; a rank required by the position.

Prabowo has attracted great attention not only because he is President Soeharto's son-in-law but because he is viewed as a fast rising star in the military.

Prabowo, a son of economic guru Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, is married to Soeharto's second daughter, Siti Hediati Hariadi. He is the first of the Military Academy's 1974 graduates to have reached a two-star rank.

Hartono had earlier hinted of Prabowo's impending promotion following the latter's success in leading the military operation to release a group of Indonesians and foreigners held hostage by a separatist group in Irian Jaya in May.

Prabowo is considered to have succeeded in quelling the Fretilin separatist group in East Timor.

Brig. Gen. Johny Lumintang, Brig. Gen. Agum Gumelar and Brig. Gen. Bambang Yudhoyono were promoted to major general. They will be sworn in as the chiefs of the Trikora, Wirabuana and Sriwijaya regional military commands in Irian Jaya, Sulawesi and South Sumatra respectively.

The four other officers were promoted from colonel to brigadier general. They were Jusuf Jawas, Sudi Silalahi, Suadi Atma and Jaya Suparman.

Jusuf and Silalahi will also be appointed expert staff members to Armed Forces Commander Suadi Atma to replace Yudhoyono as chief of staff at the Jakarta military command. Jaya will become the chief of staff at Wirabuana military command.

Soeyono

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Soeyono, who was recently replaced as ABRI Chief of General Affairs, denied yesterday the speculation that he was dismissed because he had failed to anticipate the major riots in Jakarta two weeks ago.

"Reshuffles are always conducted based on wise consideration and the actual needs of the military," he said after bidding farewell to his staff at the Armed Forces (ABRI) Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, yesterday.

Soeyono was replaced by Lt. Gen. Tarub. He was formerly the chief of the Army Strategic Reserve Command. (rms)