“ES (Effendi Simbolon) has hurt the feeling of all TNI personnel with his arrogant attitude. He has interfered too much in TNI’s internal affairs,” said Honi on Tuesday (13/9).
“If this is left unchecked, it could turn into a serious conflict. Don’t let the October 15, 1952 incident where the military came into conflict with the DPRS repeat itself,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Commander of Regional Military Command (Kodam) XVII/Cenderawasih Maj. Gen. Muhammad Saleh Mustafa regretted Effendi’s statement. He stated that there is no country in the world where members of its military acted like gang members. He stated that apart from being a national defense force, the TNI is also a unifying force.
The Army Headquarters has also issued a statement although Army spokesperson Col. Hamim Tohari said that there was no instruction from the Army Chief of Staff to do so.