President appoints 17 new ambassadors
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)