Simple ceremony for Kopassus anniversay
BATUJAJAR, West Java (JP): The Army's Special Force, Kopassus, mourning Monday's killing in Irian Jaya of 11 of its soldiers and four civilians by a reportedly depressed officer, celebrated its 44th anniversary in a simple ceremony yesterday.
Attended by the force's soldiers stationed in Jakarta, Solo in Central Java and Cilegon in West Java, the ceremony was presided over by the force's deputy commander, Col. Idris Gassing. A number of former servicemen living in the township were also invited.
Special forces commander Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto did not attend the ceremony. Earlier yesterday he flew to Timika, Irian Jaya, to attend to the aftermath of the shooting.
He accompanied some of the bodies flown back to Jakarta later yesterday.
Speeches written by President Soeharto and Army Chief Gen. R. Hartono were delivered during the ceremony.
Soeharto asked the red-beret force to maintain their alertness and their professional skills as members of a special force, even if the country is in a relatively stable condition.
"The force should always be ready to be deployed to any part of the country should the nation's unity and integrity come into danger," Soeharto said in his statement delivered by Gassing.
"History has shown that it takes a long time to develop and maintain unity in this diverse nation. The aspirations and interests of the various group in society are so varied that it needs patience and broad knowledge to mold them all into a single national interest," he said.
He reminded the audience that the force was first established to handle social unrest and uprisings at a time when the government and the political elite were unable to ease the widespread dissatisfaction.
"There was unrest and uprisings, and the effort to solve them exhausted our soldiers' energy," he said. "That's when the force was established to support the efforts to safeguard the nation's independence."
Soeharto praised the special forces for its many jobs well done. "The special forces have an important role in shaping national stability and ensuring smooth development," he said.
Soeharto said the main responsibility to protect the nation's survival rests on the nation itself. "For that purpose, we have good, reliable forces, in the fields of security and defense, in ideology, politics, economics and social and culture," he said.
Prabowo took up the leadership of the 3,500-strong force in December. He said on Monday that the special forces would have to be revamped "in line with the current environment, threats and security situation".
He also said the force would be increased from four to five battalions, would acquire fresh equipment and that he wanted to build it into the elite force that the armed forces and the people expect it to be.
Special forces troops are currently deployed in military operations in Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya. (17/rms)