TNI chief launches major reshuffle
TNI chief launches major reshuffle
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) announced on Saturday its first
major reshuffle in a year, affecting 42 high-ranking officers,
including Commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) Maj.
Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan, who has been named as Siliwangi Military
Commander overseeing West Java and Banten provinces.
TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto signed the decree on
the reshuffle on Jan. 27, according to a TNI press statement.
Outgoing Siliwangi Military Commander Maj. Gen. Iwan Sulanjana
has been appointed as operational assistant to the Army chief.
The appointment of Sriyanto to such a strategic post may raise
some eyebrows, particularly among human rights activists as he
was allegedly involved in the 1998 Tanjung Priok bloodshed. At
that time he was chief of operations at North Jakarta Military
Command.
However, the panel of justices at the human rights court ruled
in November last year that Sriyanto was not guilty in the
incident, which according to official data killed 24 people and
injured 54 others. The Attorney General's Office, however, has
planned to submit an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The latest reshuffle also affected Teuku Umar Military Resort
Commander (overseeing central Aceh, including the provincial
capital, Banda Aceh) Col. Geerhan Lantara and Lilawangsa Military
Resort Commander (overseeing northern Aceh through to eastern
Aceh) Col. Azmyn Yusri Nasution.
The two have been assigned as new chiefs of staff of the
Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)'s first and second
divisions, respectively.
The statement did not name the successors of the two Aceh
commanders, but sources say that Kopassus officer Col. Chairawan
-- who has been grounded for years following the kidnapping case
against prodemocracy activists in the late 1990s -- may be
appointed to Lilawangsa Military Command. TNI spokesman Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin refused to confirm.
The reshuffle comes as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is
under pressure from lawmakers to replace Endriartono.