Raden Rachmadi/Aqida Swamurti, Jakarta – The United States government and parliament has questioned the independence of the Indonesian military which is considered to be still under the power of the Suharto regime and his family.

"The United States Foreign Affairs Minister's Assistant, Christopher Hill, just questioned me about the matter," said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono after meeting Christopher Hill in Jakarta yesterday (29/5).

According to Juwono, the matter was brought forward because several NGOs in the US obtained a photo of the Commander of the Special Forces Command (Kopassus), Major General Rasyid Qurnuen, shaking hands with former president Suharto's son Hutomo Mandala Putra (Tommy Suharto).

According to Hill, some NGOs consider that the two people's meeting is a sign that the Army's elite troops are still under the command of the New Order ruler's family.

When the photo reached Washington, a Congress member even turned this issue into a means to press Indonesia by reimposing military embargo.

However, during the meeting, Juwono was able to deny the accusation. "The meeting of the two people has nothing to do with the matters being accused of," he said.

At that time, a shooting competition was held at Kopassus Team 2 HQ in Kartasura, Central Java in which Tommy and Bambang Trihatmodjo wereparticipants.

According to Juwono, Rasyid was also a Presidential Security Guard during Suharto era. "So it was only an Eastern culture politeness from a soldier to the former family he once guarded," he said.

After the explanation, according to Juwono, Christopher Hill was able to understand. Hill said he assumed the news to only be an issue that was turned into a political commodity there. "He also considered the issue a part of the bad image inherited from the past and which is difficult to erase," said Juwono.