President appoints 17 new ambassadors
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inducted 17 new ambassadors yesterday to serve in Asia, Africa and Latin America, posting an Army major general in Malaysia and a vice marshal in the Philippines.
Maj. Gen. M. Jacob Dasto will become the new Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, with whom Jakarta has traditionally had disputes regarding both labor relations and borders. Vice Admiral Abu Hartono will take over the Indonesian embassy in Manila.
Indonesia plays a mediatory role in the long-standing conflict between the Philippines government and the Moro Moslem guerrillas seeking a separate state.
As foreshadowed last month, the Indonesian government has left vacant its ambassadorial post in Canberra, following the controversy sparked by Jakarta's nomination of Lt. Gen. (ret) H.B.L. Mantiri for the post.
Two of the 17 new ambassadors are women: Sri Andalia Widodo Sastroamidjojo, for the Slovak Republic, and Nuraina Labde Hamimyar, for Poland and Belarus.
The other ambassadors inducted yesterday are Leonard Tobing, for the Czech Republic; D. Soesjono for Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar; Irawan Abidin for Greece; Aminuddin Noor for Norway, Iceland; Samsubahri Siregar for Bulgaria; Aswin Darwis for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay; Andi Sjamsu for Sudan; Amin Rianom for Venezuela and Ecuador; Adian Silalahi for Brazil and Peru; Sumaryo Suryokusumo for Austria -- also as permanent representative to the UN in Vienna; Usman Hassan for Mexico; Bagindo Djamaris Buyung Suleman for Syria, Libanon and Cyprus; and Soekadari Honggowongso for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Most of the new ambassadors are from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Jacob Dasto was formerly chief of the Tanjungpura regional military command. Abu Hartono quit his position as chairman of the Armed Forces faction in the House of Representatives only on Wednesday. Usman Hasan was a former chief of the ruling Golkar faction in the House.
Among those present at the induction ceremony were First Lady Tien Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno, chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency J.B. Sumarlin, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas. (pan)