SBY's men get promotion

The Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters launched a major reshuffle on Wednesday affecting high-ranking military officers, including Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya from commanding Iskandar Muda Military Command in the troubled Aceh province to his new post as deputy Army chief of staff.

He will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Syafiuddin Yusuf, the current Udayana Military Commander who oversees North and West Nusa Tenggara and Bali provinces.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's brothers-in-law were also promoted in the reshuffle. They are Brig. Gen. Pramono Eddy Wibowo, who was appointed as deputy commander of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), and Maj. Gen. Erwin Sudjono, who was appointed as head of Tanjung Pura Military Command overseeing Kalimantan province.

Brig. Gen. Setya Purwaka, known as one of Susilo's closest assistants, was also promoted as deputy minister of home affairs and political coordination at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

According to head of the TNI's information department Col. A. Yani Basuki, the reshuffle also affected commanders of the Air Force's Western and Eastern fleets. -- JP