Sintong gets new post

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung swore-in Lt. Gen. (ret) Sintong Panjaitan (center) as Secretary of Development Operation yesterday.

Here in the photo Sintong is seen chatting with his predecessor -- the current Minister of Information Yunus Yosfiah (left) -- and Minister of Transmigration A.M. Hendropriyono.

Sintong, 57, was drafted onto Habibie's expert staff for security and defense affairs early last month when the latter was still vice president.

Sintong's military career soared after he led a commando operation to liberate passengers from a hijacked Indonesian plane in Bangkok in 1981. In 1985 he was appointed commander of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus).

His career in the Armed Forces (ABRI) ended following a bloody clash between demonstrators and security forces in Dili on Nov. 12, 1991. Sintong at that time was commander of the Udayana military command which oversees Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

Akbar also installed Maj. Gen. Arifin Tarigan as secretary general of the National Defense and Security Council (Wanhankamnas) yesterday. He replaced Lt. Gen. Soetarto. (prb)