Presidential security guards downsized, back to basic

Presidential security guards downsized, back to basic

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

The Presidential security guards (Paspampres) have been
streamlined over the past year with their duty now focused on
safeguarding the republic's president and vice president.

With their number already reduced to 2,000 from 3,000, the
guards no longer deal with protocol affairs related to the
activities of both the President and Vice President as the job
has been returned to the Jakarta Military Garrison.

In an apparent bid to remove past disgrace, the corps has also
revived its original anniversary of June 6 from the current date
of March 23.

Founding president Sukarno, the father of incumbent President
Megawati Soekarnoputri, established the Tjakrabirawa Regiment on
his 61st birthday on June 6, 1962, naming the guards after the
weapon of Krisna, the key figure in the Indian Mahabharata epic.

Sukarno's successor Soeharto formed the new presidential
guards corps called the Army's Military Police Battalion (Yon
Pomad Para) to replace Tjakrabirawa, whose members were involved
in an aborted coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party on
Sept. 30, 1965.

Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. officiated
the restructuring of the presidential guards in a ceremony held
at one of the corps' bases in Lawang Gintung, Bogor, West Java,
some 65 kilometers south of here.

Also present at the event were Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto, Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)
chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, Paspampres chief Maj. Gen. Nono
Sampurno and several House of Representatives legislators.

"The reorganization is needed, considering the fact that
current situations have created a real threat to the President,
Vice President, and VIP guests," Widodo said in his speech.

The restructuring process has been taking place for almost a
year, aimed at improving the skills of the guards.

Presidential guards are divided into three groups: Group A is
assigned to protect the President and his or her family. Group B
is assigned to safeguard the Vice President and his or her family
and Group C is tasked with guarding presidential guests.

The first two groups are stationed on Jl. Tanah Abang in
Central Jakarta.

The presidential guards have been restructured several times
since 1966, including in 1999 when they technically fell under
supervision of the Military Intelligence (Bais).

The latest reorganization of the presidential guards was
approved on Jan. 14 this year.