Jakarta. Indonesia has canceled a major military parade planned for the 81st anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) on Oct. 5, opting instead for a modest ceremony as troops remain deployed to disaster-hit areas across the country.

TNI Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto said Sunday that the anniversary ceremony would be held at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, rather than at the National Monument (Monas), where a large-scale parade and display of military equipment had previously been planned.

“The anniversary will be commemorated simply at TNI headquarters because many of the troops who were supposed to participate in the ceremony have been deployed to disaster-hit areas,” Agus told reporters.

He said military personnel were continuing to assist the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and other government agencies with disaster response in several regions, including Aceh.

The change represents a significant scaling back of the original plan.

As recently as last week, the TNI was preparing to hold its main anniversary ceremony at Monas, with President Prabowo Subianto scheduled to serve as inspector of the ceremony.

The original program included a parade and march-past involving personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as a large display of military vehicles and equipment.

Those plans have now been abandoned as the military prioritizes humanitarian deployments.

Agus said the Oct. 5 ceremony would instead focus largely on internal activities, with only limited public participation, including students from several schools.

The scaled-down main ceremony does not mean the TNI has canceled the broader series of events marking its 81st anniversary.

The military has already staged a two-day defense equipment exhibition at Monas, sporting competitions, community activities and a fun run. A band festival was also held in Jakarta on Sunday as part of the anniversary program.

Five New Regional Commands Planned
The anniversary is also expected to coincide with another expansion of the Army's territorial structure.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Muhammad Nas said last week that five new Regional Military Commands, known as Kodam, would be announced around the anniversary period.

Army Chief Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak subsequently identified the planned locations as Yogyakarta, Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, North Maluku, Central Papua and Riau Islands.

He did not disclose the official names of the new commands.

Kodam serves as the Army's principal regional territorial command structure, overseeing military units and territorial operations within designated areas.

The five additions would bring the total number of Kodam across Indonesia to 26.

Add as a preferred source on Google +