Prabowo promoted to command Kopassus

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)