Maluku, N. Maluku have new military chief

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 08/03/2007 12:32 PM

JAKARTA: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Djoko Santoso installed Maj. Gen. Rashid Qurnuen Aquary as the new chief of the Pattimura Regional Military Command in a ceremony at the Army headquarters here Thursday.

Rashid, previously Commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), replaces Maj. Gen. Sudarmaidy Subandi, who will be transferred to perform administrative tasks at the Indonesian Military headquarters.

The replacement of Sudarmaidy came in the wake of the separatist South Maluku Republic (RMS) flag-waving incident late June, which occurred in the middle of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the Maluku capital of Ambon.

Addressing the ceremony, General Djoko said that being in the Army required a strong sense of duty and pride.

The Army chief, however, has yet to announce Rashid's replacement for the Kopassus chief post. -- JP

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