Born in the midst of upheaval, the Army’s Special Force (Kopassus) became an elite unit and a respected component of the Indonesian armed forces. Kopassus also has many facets: a reliable combat unit, a launch pad for a fast-track military career and an organization that is no stranger to continued accusations of human rights violations. What was Kopassus’ historical role and what is the future of the unit that celebrated its 49th anniversary last week?
. tempo : 173514531615.
Batujajar, West Java, before daybreak. A young man is jolted awake and hurries out of his room at 2am. The chilly air makes him shiver, but he forces himself to run. "Faster, faster, faster!" comes a harsh rebuke urging him onward. After a few meters, crash! He slams into a Land Rover. He is not yet fully awake. He stumbles momentarily and continues the morning exercise. A few people laugh at his mishap, but soon he soon rejoins his fri
...
Subscribe to continue reading.
We craft news with stories.
For the benefits of subscribing to Digital Tempo, See More
Independent journalism needs public support. By subscribing to Tempo, you will contribute to our ongoing efforts to produce accurate, in-depth and reliable information. We believe that you and everyone else can make all the right decisions if you receive correct and complete information. For this reason, since its establishment on March 6, 1971, Tempo has been and will always be committed to hard-hitting investigative journalism. For the public and the Republic.