Jokowi Talks of Arrests of Former Generals with Retired Soldiers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto said President Joko Widodo or Jokowi received multiple recommendations from a number of retired Indonesian Military (TNI) high-ranking officers who were invited to the Merdeka Palace this afternoon, May 31. 

Wiranto said the one-hour meeting was centering on the country's latest issues. 

"Issues on politics, security, or problems related to how the country’s stability can be maintained," he said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Friday, May 31.

Wiranto also confirmed that the arrests of several retired soldiers were also discussed in the meeting. “Oh, yes,” he said.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, meanwhile, said all parties in the meeting agreed that law enforcement must not be discriminative. “Let the legal process proceed, things will get clear eventually,” he said.

He added that Jokowi received input from a former deputy to the Army chief of staff, Kiki Syahnakri, that law enforcers should take into account the psychological factors of every party in the case. 

Read: Jokowi Invites Retired Soldiers to Meeting on Latest Situation

“So that we mull over the psychological factors, and the president was very sensitive of the matter. The psychological factors of retired soldiers, the Indonesian Military, the National Police and the public,” he said.

Earlier, the police named a string of ex-high-rangking military officers as suspects in multiple cases. Former Kopassus (Army’s Special Forces) commander Soenarko has been named suspect in the possession of illegal firearms, while ex-Kostrad (Army’s Strategic Reserves Command) chief of staff Kivlan Zen was named suspect in alleged treason.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI