TNI plays down revival of military command

The plan to revive a regional military command in Kalimantan later this year has raised the eyebrows of international community, particularly China, Malaysia, and Australia, Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Rear Marshall Sagom Tamboen said Tuesday.
 
Sagom, however, said there was nothing peculiar in the reactivation of Mulawarman military command, which will oversee East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. The current Tanjungpura military command will oversee West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

“Neighboring countries are paying attention to the plan. But I think it’s not surprising. When a neighboring country takes a significant move, we will definitely take a look at it too,” Sagom said.
 
He said the plan had also sparked curiosity among the foreign media, which have been critical of the Indonesian military.
 
“We told them, nothing special about the new military command. They should not worry about that,” Sagom said.
 
Vice Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin said the revival of Mulawarman military command was aimed at beefing up security along the border with Malaysia, which stretches about 2,000 kilometers. He ensured the new military command would not be followed by deployment of reinforcement troops.
 
The Indonesian military headquarters merged three military commands in Kalimantan in 1984 as part of organizational streamlining.