Prabowo takes charge of Army's Special Force
Prabowo takes charge of Army's Special Force
JAKARTA (JP): Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto took charge of the Army's elite Special Command Force (Kopassus) yesterday with his superiors taking pains to explain that the appointment was based solely on an impeccable military record.
His appointment, announced two weeks ago, has generated more than the usual public interest about Kopassus appointments, because Prabowo is a son-in-law of President Soeharto.
Traditionally, Kopassus' chief position has paved the way to better career prospects in the military or the government.
Prabowo, 44, was deputy chief of the Red Berets before the appointment. On Friday, he received a promotion from colonel to become the first of the Armed Forces Academy's Class 1974 to be promoted to the rank of general.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono told reporters after leading the swearing-in ceremony at Kopassus' headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, that Prabowo's appointment was based strictly on objective appraisal.
"The appointment went through a long procedure, from the nomination process to the last election by a special council chaired by Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung," Hartono said.
"If he was elected it is because he is the best of all candidates," he said. "Certainly, it was not the result of anyone's engineering."
Other senior ranking Army officers have attested to Prabowo's achievements in his army career, all of which he spent in the field, first with the Kopassus, and later with the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).
They said that Prabowo would have risen to his present position even without his relationship with the first family through marriage.
Prabowo spent long years of his career in Indonesia's troubled spots like East Timor and Aceh.
He twice gained extraordinary rank promotions for leading his troops in operations against the East Timor armed separatist movement, Fretilin. It was his unit which shot dead Fretilin president Nicolao Lobato and arrested Fretilin commander Guido Soares and Somotxo, a member of Fretilin central committee.
Born in Jakarta on Oct. 17, 1951, Prabowo is the son of Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, Indonesia's economic guru and advisor to President Soeharto. In 1983, he married Siti Hediyati Hariyadi, Soeharto's fourth child. The couple now have a son.
He shunned offers of scholarships from leading American universities when he completed high school in 1971 to join the National Military Academy in Magelang.
He possesses academic qualities that he undoubtedly inherited from his father, speaking fluent English, French, Dutch and German. He is widely read and owns a vast collection of books.
Yesterday's induction was witnessed by his parents, brother, leading businessman Hasjim Djojohadikusumo, and his brother-in- law, Bambang Trihatmojo, also a successful businessman.
Prabowo was less elusive with the media yesterday than he had been in the last two weeks since his appointment was announced.
"This is Allah's blessing that I must say thanks for. I will keep this responsibility and maintain it," he said of his new job.
Asked about his plans for Kopassus, he said he does not plan to make any changes. "I will follow the programs and policy initiated by my predecessors," he added.
Soemitro said he was proud of his son's appointment. "My family and I are very happy because of today's event," he told reporters.
Also present at the ceremony were Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Joop Ave, National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro, Chief of ABRI's General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono, Chief of ABRI's Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Ma'ruf, Kostrad Chief Maj. Gen. Tarub and Jakarta military chief Maj. Gen. Wiranto.
Several previous Kopassus chiefs were also present, including Wismoyo Arismunandar, Wiyogo Atmodarminto, Sintong Panjaitan, Kuntara and Tarub.
Prabowo replaced Maj. Gen. Subagyo who will soon assume his new post as chief of the Diponegoro Military Command in Central Java and Yogyakarta. (rms)