'Rising stars' take over ABRI strategic positions
JAKARTA (JP): Three "rising stars" took over the leadership of the Armed Forces (ABRI) strategic positions in two simple ceremonies yesterday.
Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi, Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto were installed as the new Armed Forces Chief of General Affairs, the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs, and the Commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) respectively.
Fachrul graduated from the Armed Forces Academy in 1970, Yudhoyono graduated in 1973 and Prabowo completed his studies in 1974. Observers have described them as members of a new breed of professional military officers.
Fachrul replaced Lt. Gen. Tarub, who will shortly reach the mandatory retirement age of 55. Yudhoyono replaced Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah and Prabowo replaced Lt. Gen. Soegiono.
Born in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh in July 1947, Fachrul has spent most of his military career in the Infantry.
Fachrul was appointed chief of staff of Wirabuana regional military command, which oversees Sulawesi, in 1966. A few months later he was appointed governor of the National Military Academy and was appointed assistant for operations to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs last year.
Yudhoyono was born in September 1949 in the East Java town of Pacitan, and began his military career with the Kujang Infantry Brigade in West Java in 1974.
He was still serving with the same Infantry Brigade when he participated in a military operation in East Timor in 1976.
Experienced in military operations, Yudhoyono is also known for his academic prowess. After completing a course at Seskoad, the Army Staff and Command School, in 1989, he studied management at Webster University in the United States, obtaining a degree in 1991 while seconded to a US Army Command and General Staff College.
Born in January 1951, Prabowo, who is the son of senior economist Soemitro Djojohadikoesoemo, became a one-star general after only 11 years military service.
Observers say he combines intelligence, excellent skills and mental stability. He speaks English, French, German and Dutch equally well.
He was appointed deputy commander of Kopassus, the Army's special forces, in 1994, and promoted to command the elite unit that same year.
Coup
Later in the day, Prabowo said the Indonesian Armed Forces did not have a tradition of staging coups.
"ABRI has its own tradition. Coup is not in the vocabulary of the Armed Forces," he told reporters after receiving the command from his predecessor Lt. Gen. Soegiono.
He was referring to an earlier statement by senior military figure Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution, who quoted former U.S. president George Washington: "There is not supposed to be any coup as there will always be subsequent coups to correct the first one."
Nasution was recalling the day in 1965 when he survived an attempt on his life by the now outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), who were blamed for an attempted coup that year.
After the attempt, he sat on a table nursing his injured feet and discussed allegations that the Army was responsible for the coup with other military officers, saying on that fateful day: "There will always need to be subsequent coups to correct the first. So, we will never stage a coup." (imn/lem)