Soeharto says army is guarantee for the future
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia needs a strong military to ensure that it can continue with its development, President Soeharto says.
"In a world that is now filled with uncertainties, a strong ABRI (Armed Forces) acts as a guarantee for our future," the ABRI Commander-in-chief said on Saturday in a speech to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Kopassus, the Army's special force.
In his written speech, Soeharto said he had full confidence in the strength of the military, its personnel and equipment, and that ABRI's strength and capabilities stacks up well with the armed forces of other countries.
He commended Kopassus specifically for fulfilling its tasks in the past, specifically, of defending the country and in protecting its people.
The speech was read during the military ceremony at the Kopassus headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.
The force has spearheaded many military operations in the past, including campaigns to quash the communist forces in 1965 and various separatist insurgences, including in Irian Jaya, Aceh and East Timor.
It was also a Kopassus unit that was sent to Don Muang airport in Bangkok in 1981 to free the hostages of a hijacked Garuda Indonesia airliner.
These successful operations earned Kopassus the reputation as the Army's most fearsome and strongly disciplined force.
The force, that has adopted the motto "Skilled and Professional" and picked as its anniversary theme "It's Better to Die than to Fail".
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar, who presided at the anniversary ceremony, said that Kopassus must participate in the nation's endeavors to overcome the various social, political and economic obstacles and the threats to national unity.
Indonesia is currently undergoing an intensive change brought about by the forces of development and globalization, making the nation prone to new security problems, said Wismoyo.
Wismoyo commanded the Kopassus from 1983 to 1985.
High mobility
He told the Kopassus members to continue their practice and stay alert at all times, noting that one of the keys to success for the force in the past was their high mobility that enabled it to move to any part of the country quickly.
"We should maintain Kopassus's reputation as a force that is small in size but plays tactical and strategic roles in every task," he said.
During the ceremonies, Wismoyo also presented Kopassus' Kartika Eka Pakci Nararya meritorious award to Brig. Gen. Agum Gumelar, the current commander of the force, and Col. K. Simbolon, who is Agum's intelligence assistant.
The award for Simbolon was given to acknowledge his role in arresting Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao in November of 1992. Xanana was an East Timor guerrilla leader who had been in hiding for nearly 16 years.
Some of the other former Kopassus's commanders were also present at the ceremony in Cijantung on Saturday, including Maj. Gen. Koentara (now chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command), Maj. Gen. Tarub (now chief of the Tanjungpura Military Command), and Brig. Gen. Sintong Panjaitan.
The guests and members of the public were also given a glimpse of some of the skills that made Kopassus famous.
There was a simulated operation to free hostages, a display of their self defense skills and an air jump. (rms)