Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) is undertaking a major reshuffle of 120 strategic positions, including the three deputies to the chiefs of staff of the army, the navy and the air force.

Without giving details, TNI commander Endriartono Sutarto said on Tuesday that he had approved the proposed reshuffle, which was aimed at "rejuvenating" the military. "The reshuffle has nothing to do with the political or security situation. There's nothing special about it," the general said during a break in a hearing before a parliamentary panel on political, security and foreign affairs.

There were rumours of a military coup in Indonesia last month after massive protests erupted over planned utility price hikes. President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government was forced to roll back the hikes.

In the reshuffle, the chief of military education and training command, Major-General Darsono, was appointed deputy chief of the army to replace Lt-General Sumarsono.

The chief of the navy's Eastern Fleet, Rear-Admiral I.W.R. Argawa, was named deputy chief of the navy to replace Vice- Admiral Syahroni Kasnadi.

And the assistant to the air force chief for operational affairs, Rear-Marshall Wardoyo, will take over as deputy chief of the air force from Vice-Marshall Ali Munsiri Rappe.

Among other changes in the regional military commands, the military commander in Papua province will be replaced amid allegations that his troops killed two American teachers and prominent local politician Theys Eluay.

Major-General Mahidin Simbolon will hand over his post as head of the Papuan regional command to his deputy, Brigadier-General Nurdin Zaenal, an army spokesman said on Tuesday. Military spokesman Ratyono described the reshuffle, which included the heads of the military districts in Jakarta and strife-torn Maluku, as "routine".

But a senior officer at the armed forces headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Maj-Gen Simbolon was being replaced because of "ongoing problems in Papua"