Troops, warships stand by for Mega's visit
Troops, warships stand by for Mega's visit
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters has set up a joint
task force of 2,000 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel to
safeguard President Megawati Soekarnoputri's historic four-hour
visit to attend East Timor's declaration of independence at
midnight Sunday.
The TNI also has six Indonesian warships stationed near the
East Timor capital of Dili, as well as one Air Force Hercules C-
130, to anticipate possible security disturbances, TNI spokesman
Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Friday.
He said the United Nations Transitional Administration in East
Timor (UNTAET) had allowed the TNI to station its ships off the
coast and troops in Dili and nearby border areas.
"This joint security task force will be led by the Navy's
Eastern Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Syahroni Kasnadi and is to be
assisted by the Presidential Security Guard Corps (Paspampres)
which has limited personnel," Sjafrie said.
The joint security task force comprises troops from the Army's
Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), the Navy's Marine Corps and
the Air Force's Special Force (Paskhas).
The Paspampres team, led by Col. Suryo Prabowo, was expected
to arrive in Dili on Friday night.
The six Indonesian warships are the Tanjung Kambani, Teluk
Fatahillah, Badik, Hiu, Teluk Sampit and the Teluk Mandar. Dozens
of amphibious tanks and a number of Army's helicopters are also
readied to guard the president who is expected to stay overnight
in Denpasar, Bali, after attending the celebrations.
TNI chief Adm. Widodo A.S. will directly monitor the operation
from the Tanjung Kambani, which is equipped with an emergency
room should "something happen" to the President during her visit.
Sjafrie said security for all invited guests, including
Megawati, was supposed to be the responsibility of the East Timor
administration, but he underlined that "the TNI would not take
any risk, considering that the celebration will be held in the
open air at night".
Megawati's visit to East Timor has received criticism from
senior military figures and Indonesian war veterans who had
served in the former Indonesian province.
TNI headquarters initially opposed the visit due to a number
of outstanding issues, including refugees and Indonesian assets,
following the 1999 UN-sponsored vote in which the overwhelming
majority voted for independence from Indonesia.
Several former government, military and police officials are
facing trials at the Indonesian Rights Tribunal for alleged gross
human rights violation before, during, and after the 1999 ballot.
If proven guilty, they will face a minimum of 10-years jail.
Sjafrie said the TNI would be realistic in observing the
ongoing rights tribunal.
"But people should understand that what the TNI has done in
East Timor was part of its dedication to this country," he said.
In observance of the East Timor independence celebrations,
several former East Timorese leaders attempted to meet Megawati
on Friday. They included former East Timor governor Abilio Jose
Osorio Soares, former pro-Jakarta militia commander Eurico
Guterres and a number of former district chiefs and legislators.
Megawati, however, refused to meet them due to a tight
schedule although they had arrived at her presidential residence
in Central Jakarta at 9:30 a.m.
Abilio, who looked disappointed at Megawati's rejection, left
the residence without saying a word. Meanwhile, Guterres told
reporters that he demanded the Indonesian government help them
by, among other things, providing them with identity cards to
show that they were Indonesian citizens.