VP to open a seminar on Simatupang

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri will open a seminar in commemoration of the late T.B. Simatupang's 80th birthday on Thursday.

The seminar will feature, among others, military analysts Hasnan Habib and Salim Said, as well as religious organization figures such as Syafi'i Maarif of Muhammadiyah and Said Aqiel Sieradj of Nahdlatul Ulama. They will discuss national integrity, which is now at stake in the wake of political tensions and the current climate of separatism.

In connection with the birthday celebration, President Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to inaugurate a monument of Simatupang at his birthplace, Sidikalang, on March 31.

Simatupang, who was born in Sidikalang, North Sumatra, on Jan. 28, 1920, is known as one of the founders of the Indonesian military.

He held the post of joint commander of the Indonesian Military between 1950 and 1954. At the age of 39, he retired from the military, saying he could no longer cooperate with the then president Soekarno.

After retiring, he wrote many books on military issues. He also became active in church organizations and an avid promoter of dialog between people of different religions and mass organizations. (bnt)