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.