THE involvement of Kopassus and the military generally in business goes back a long way. In 1959, when nationalization began, many military officers were called in to lead foreign businesses that had been taken over. And this became a trend.

In 1972 then president Suharto gave permission to the armys Kartika Eka Paksi Institution to go into business on its own account. The main justification cited was to improve the welfare of ordinary soldiers. A