TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday paid a visit to the special forces command of the Kingdom of Cambodia Armed Forces in Phnom Penh. In this opportunity, the Minister was reunited with a number of military personnel he once mentored at the Indonesian Army special forces (Kopassus).

“Today I am proud to have been welcomed at the Special Forces Command of the Cambodian Army. I am certain that this unit will continue to become a reliable and superior force that will defend the Cambodian nation and people,” said Subianto on June 21, Antaranews reported.

Cambodia’s special forces commander and deputy army commander Lieutenant General Chab Peakdey was present to welcome the Minister in person, who is one of Prabowo’s proteges.

Prabowo mentioned that Indonesia had always considered Cambodia as a close relative with long historical ties. Bilateral cooperation between the two countries, he said, has always been well developed from time to time.

Apart from Chab, there are also a number of former Prabowo proteges who currently assume strategic positions in the Cambodian military, including Lt. Gen. Yib Koy who now serves as Commander of the Education Center for the Security Forces (Danpusdik Paspam) of the Prime Minister (PM) of Cambodia, Major General (Mayjen) Sin. Ra, who served as Commander of Detachment 241 Paspam PM Cambodia, and Lt. Gen. Pol. Chin Sary, who served as Director General (Dirjen) of the Cambodia National Police.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo in Google News