Prabowo's replacement 'routine tour of duty'

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Wiranto denied yesterday that the removal of Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto as chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) was untimely, stressing that it was part of an officer's "tour of duty".

The transfer from Prabowo to Maj. Gen. Johnny Lumintang (not lieutenant general as reported yesterday), was effected on Friday without any prior announcement.

But yesterday morning, or less than 18 hours later, Lumintang was replaced by Maj. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, formerly chief of the Siliwangi Regional Military Command overseeing West Java.

"The (Prabowo's) transfer had long been planned, but the national situation prevented us from carrying it out.

"Now that things are calmer, we can replace the chiefs of Kostrad and Kopassus (Special Force)," Wiranto said.

"We (the military) adopts the principle of transfer of area and transfer of duty," he told reporters after being sworn-in as minister of security and defense in the new cabinet of President B.J. Habibie at the Merdeka Palace.

Before his explanation, speculation was rife about the reason for Prabowo's untimely removal from the Army's most elite force, coming so soon after the resignation of President Soeharto on Thursday. Prabowo is Soeharto's son-in-law.

Rumors also suggested that Kopassus commandant general Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono and Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Samsoeddin would also be replaced.

Wiranto confirmed about Muchdi's imminent transfer but denied that Sjafrie would be removed anytime soon.

Prabowo, 47, has held the Kostrad post for only two months. He has now been assigned as Commander of ABRI's Staff and Command College in Bandung, West Java.

Of this new assignment, Wiranto commented: "Gen. Prabowo to date has never held any commanding post in education. He has always been in combat and operational units. We feel any senior officer must have a complete overall experience."

Of Lumintang's replacement after only 18 hours, Wiranto said he was appointed as caretaker with the task of consolidating Kostrad's forces deployed in various Jakarta areas following the students' occupation of the House of Representatives building.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo led the transfer of duty ceremony from Lumintang to Chaniago at Kostrad headquarters on Jl. Merdeka Timur, Central Jakarta, at 1 p.m.

Subagyo appealed to senior Army officers against misconstruing the changes.

He said Prabowo was unable to transfer his job directly to Chaniago on Friday because the latter was busy in Bandung with matters related to his position as chief of Siliwangi Command.

Djamari separately said he was informed about his new job only hours before the transfer ceremony.

"The Army chief told me at 1 a.m. this morning (yesterday) that I was to leave the military command. And I was told about the promotion just a few hours before the installation."

Lumintang refused to say anything about his brief stint as Kostrad chief.

Lumintang reportedly returns to his previous post as assistant for operations to the chief of ABRI's general affairs.

Subagyo said Maj. Gen. Syahrir MS, currently chief of the Udayana Military Command, would take over from Muchdi as Kopassus commandant-general today.

Djamari nurtured his military career in Kostrad.

After graduating from the Military Command in 1971, he was assigned to Kostrad, then to its airborne squadron in 1974, and became a senior staff member at the airborne squadron in 1978.

He led the Kostrad airborne squadron in 1985 and became chief of staff of the Kostrad infantry brigade in 1990 and chief of the infantry battalion in 1992.

He finished his education at the ABRI School of Staff and Command in 1994 and became chief of Kostrad's Division II in 1995.

Born in 1949 in the South Sumatra capital of Palembang, Djamari underwent several military education programs, including short courses on the infantry between 1971 and 1982 and the Army Staff and Command School in 1985, to support his military career.

He will be promoted to lieutenant general in the near future as befitting his new job in Kostrad.

Trisakti

In a related development, Jakarta Military Police Commander Col. Hendardji S. said yesterday the preliminary investigation of the May 12 shooting at Trisakti University had been completed/ About 100 people were questioned during the investigation.

He said he would submit his report to Gen. Wiranto Tuesday at the latest.

"He (Wiranto) will study the report first before making it public," Hendardji said after attending the installment ceremony of the East and South Jakarta military commanders.

Hendardji, who heads a special team set up by the Armed Forces to investigate the shooting, said the 100 people questioned included security forces, students, city officials and other eyewitnesses.

There are possibly two categories of suspects: those to be tried by military tribunal; and those to be given disciplinary sanctions.

He refused to name the suspects but said that among the security forces questioned were personnel ranging from the lower ranks to colonels.

The shooting took the lives of four Trisakti University students -- Heri Hartanto, Elang Mulya, Hendriawan Sie and Hafidhin Royan -- who were demonstrating for reform and Soeharto's resignation. (rms/ivy/prb)