Retired officers told to prioritize national interests

Retired officers told to prioritize national interests

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told
retired military officers on Wednesday to prioritize national
interests over personal or group interests.

He also urged retired servicemen to pursue their political
ambitions through constitutional means and to take into account
ethics and morality in advancing their political goals.

"As the military chief, I can only appeal to retired
military officers, who are former soldiers, to put national
interests above personal ambition just like when they were still
active in the military service," Endriartono said at the
Cilangkap TNI Headquarters in East Jakarta.

Endriartono did not mention any name, but his appeal came
after reports surfaced that former TNI chief Gen. (retired)
Wiranto planned to topple President Megawati Soekarnoputri by
funding antigovernment protests by students and trade unions.

Besides Wiranto, the government was reportedly looking at
other actors behind the street rallies. They are believed to be
former minister of finance and National Mandate Party (PAN)
lawmaker Fuad Bawazier, former cooperative minister and incumbent
chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals
(ICMI) Adi Sasono and former executive of Megawati's Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Eros Djarot.

Their names came to surface after National Intelligence Agency
(BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono reportedly singled them out during
a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Eros and Adi Sasono have denied the allegation.

Saying that TNI Headquarters no longer had authority over
retired officers, Endriartono declined to comment on Wiranto's
alleged involvement in plans to oust Megawati, saying: "I have no
right to tell the public whether I have any knowledge of it.

"There is no longer any command relations between us. We only
have emotional ties now," he said.

Endriartono also asked protesters to avoid disorder in
expressing their aspirations or "face stern action in line with
prevailing laws".