The Tjakrabirawa Regiment was the presidential bodyguard unit of the former

Indonesian President The President of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Presiden Republik Indonesia) is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and is ...

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

. It was disbanded in 1966 because of its involvement in the coup attempt of the

30 September Movement The Thirtieth of September Movement ( id, Gerakan 30 September, abbreviated as G30S, also known by the acronym Gestapu for ''Gerakan September Tiga Puluh'', Thirtieth of September Movement) was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian Na ...

History

The Tjakrabirawa Regiment was formed on 6 June 1962 by President Sukarno at the suggestion of army officers after attempts to assassinate the head of state, most recently on 14 May that year. Its primary task was to provide security for the president and his family. Security for the president consisted of individual protection and area protection. Its personnel were recruited from all branches of the

Indonesian military , founded = as the ('People's Security Forces') , current_form = , disbanded = , branches = , headquarters = Cilangkap, Jakarta , website = , commander-in-chief = Joko Widodo ...

, such as the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Raiders and the Army Parachute Commandos, the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

Commando Operations Corps (KKO), the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Rapid Action Force (PGT) and

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

Mobile Brigade (BRIMOB). The first commandant and executive officer were Brigadier General M. Sabur and Colonel Maulwi Saelan. President Sukarno gave the name "Tjakrabirawa" after

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

's fictional sacred weapon in

wayang , also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...

mythology. The regiment badge was a golden "Cakra" in a dark red pentagonal field. Its members wore a brick red beret, pushed to the left. On 30 September 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Untung, commander of one of the regiment's three battalions, led the

coup attempt. Tjakrabirawa personnel were involved in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of six senior generals. The coup failed, and Untung was later sentenced to death for his actions. In the months following the coup attempt, the army encouraged a series of anti-Sukarno demonstrations in Jakarta. During a large demonstration by students near the presidential palace on 24 February 1966, Tjakrabirawa soldiers opened fire, killing a female high school student and a male university student, Arif Rahman Hakim. Two months after the issuing of the 11 March 1966 Order authorizing Maj. Gen

Suharto Suharto (; ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian army officer and politician, who served as the second and the longest serving president of Indonesia. Widely regarded as a military dictator by international observers, Suharto ...

to take all measures necessary to guarantee security, there were purges in the Air Force, Navy and Police, and the Tjakrabirawa regiment was disbanded on 28 March. Its members were hunted down by the Army, interrogated, tortured and jailed. Those deemed to have been directly involved in the 30 September Movement were executed. Presidential guard functions were subsequently taken over by the Military Police Command of the Armed Forces in early 1966, called Satgas Pomad Para. Subsequently, the Presidential Security Force ("Pasukan Pengamanan Presiden") was formed by New Order Government and is still responsible for presidential protection, as well as for honor guard duties in the capital.

Organization

The Tjakrabirawa organization consisted of: * HQ and Services Detachment * Special Security Detachment * Personal Security Detachment * Honor Guard Detachment ** Detachment HQ ** 1st Honor Guard Battalion (consisting of Army personnel) ** 2nd Honor Guard Battalion (consisting of Navy personnel) ** 3rd Honor Guard Battalion (consisting of Air Force personnel) ** 4th Honor Guard Battalion (consisting of Police personnel) ** Presidential Band * Support Detachment

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * Sukarno Transition to the New Order Military units and formations of Indonesia Guards regiments Military units and formations disestablished in 1966 {{mil-unit-stub