Wiranto apologizes for bloodshed during MPR Session
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto apologized on Monday for casualties caused in the course of the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and the victims who have and are receiving treatment in hospital.
"I sincerely apologize for those who are the victims in the course of the General Session. I ask all of my men and police officers here to pause for a moment and pray for them," Gen. Wiranto said before bowing his head in prayer prior to an official ceremony for withdrawing troops deployed to safeguard the General Session.
At least nine people, including three students and one police officer, were killed in clashes between protesters and security personnel in the capital and in the southern Sumatra province of Lampung.
Wiranto officially declared the start of the withdrawal of 12,000 police and military officers from outside Jakarta, who were deployed across the capital to help safeguard the General Session.
"To all of the brave heroes who have fearlessly safeguarded the capital during the General Session, you will see your homes again in a month," Wiranto told the 12,000 officers gathered in the eastern parking lot of the Senayan Sports Stadium in Central Jakarta on Monday morning.
The declaration was made in a grand ceremony, which marked the first step taken by TNI and the National Police to withdraw troops in the capital.
The 12,000 troops were part of some 60,000 security officers deployed to safeguard the General Session.
The number of troops deployed was down from last year, when 78,000 security force members were safeguarding the Special Session of the MPR in November.
The operation, code-named Mantapbrata VI, started 45 days before the Assembly's General Session and will continue until a month after it ends.
Those deployed to secure the capital included troops from the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Navy Elite Marine troops, the Navy's West Fleet (Armabar), Air Force Operations Command (Koopsau), National Air Defense Command (Kohanudnas), Air Force special troops (Paskhas) and the Elite Police Mobile Brigade.
The troops withdrawal began on Monday evening. The first batch of troops to be returned were soldiers and police officers from Jambi, Bengkulu and West Java.
"The withdrawal process will be done in three gradual steps, and by late November, most of you will have reached your hometowns."
Despite the fact there was no elaboration on the steps to be taken or a specific time given for when troops would be back home, calm and weary officers instantly started smiling at one another.
"The rest of the 12,000, comprising police and military, will still be deployed in the capital until we are absolutely sure that the capital is a safe place to live in."
Those present at the ceremony, which did not last more than 30 minutes, included Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo, National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Achmad Soetjipto, chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman and City Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman.
Members of the 700-seat MPR elected Muslim scholar Abdurrahman Wahid as president on Wednesday and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri as vice president the following day.
They also endorsed the 1999/2004 State Policy Guidelines (GBHN).(ylt)