Indonesia - Profile - Gen. Wiranto.

Promoted as chief of the armed forces on Feb. 12, 1998, by then president Suharto, Gen. Wiranto succeeded Gen. Faisal Tanjung in this post. Wiranto was later made defence minister. When Suharto stepped down in May 1998, new President Habibie retained Wiranto as defence minister and top military chief. A moderate, however, Wiranto is not very popular in the military establishment. In January 1999, he failed to prevent the 500-member parliament from cutting the number of appointed military seats in the legislature. The seats were reduced from 75 to 38. Under Wiranto, the military have been on the defensive in the face of mounting riots and ethnic and sectarian clashes in various parts of the country. They have been attacked by rioting students and condemned by ethnic and sectarian militants. In March 1999, he sent more than 3,000 special troops to Ambon, on the Spice Islands, to stop violence between Christian and Muslim militants which had caused over 200 deaths in less than two months. But the troops have failed to stop the violence, with the Christians accusing the military of backing the Muslims.