Who is Gatot Nurmantyo? This is the military career and controversy of the general

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Recently the figure of Gatot Nurmantyo has reappeared.

Finally, Gatot along with several retired TNI soldiers who are members of the Retired Guard for State Sovereignty (PPKN) made a pilgrimage and sprinkled flowers at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Pancoran, Jakarta on Wednesday (9/30). / 2020).

Gatot admitted his presence at the invitation of the president of PPKN, Lieutenant General Purn Marinir Suharto. The activity of the pilgrimage was marked by clashes between protesters and pilgrims as Gatot left the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery.

Gatot Nurmantyo himself is not an ordinary person in Indonesia. He has been poor throughout the military world in Indonesia until he finally retired.

Also read: Pilgrimage to Kalibata TMP, Gatot Nurmantyo admits that he was invited by the president of PPKN, Lieutenant General Purn Marines, Suharto

Gatot was born in Tegal, Central Java on March 13, 1960. His father came from Cilacap and his mother from Solo.

Gatot lives from a family with a military background. His father was named Suwantyo, who had served as an infantry lieutenant colonel in Kodam XIII / Merdeka North Sulawesi.

Gatot Nurmantyo’s career while serving in the military was quite brilliant. Gatot graduated in 1982 from the Military Academy.

At first, Gatot had never dreamed of becoming a soldier. He almost enrolled in Gadjah Mada University.

“I want to be an architect,” he said in the program “A table” broadcast by Kompas TV, on Monday (03/10/2016).

Also read: About the arrival of the Gatot Nurmantyo entourage, what are the pilgrimage rules in the Kalibata TMP?

Gatot said that one day he was already in Yogyakarta and was ready to enroll to specialize in architecture at UGM. But Gatot remembered his mother’s message that the cost of tuition at UGM was a drain on the family’s money.

“Mom said, all expenses are for you,” said the man who was born in Tegal on March 13, 1960, imitating his mother’s message.

In fact, Gatot still has two younger brothers who definitely want to go to college after high school.

“I thought, I’m selfish, I finally continued to Semarang (to register with Akmil),” Gatot said.

“Now he becomes an architect for the army,” Gatot said.

Also read: The facts behind the chaos of Gatot Nurmantyo’s arrival at TMP Kalibata, not authorized to OUR Statement

His first serve was Danton MO 81 Kiban Yonif 315 Dam II / Slw.

For several years, Gatot was sent to Papua as Commander of Kodim, including Dandim 1707 Merauke, then Dandim 1701 Jayapura.

Gatot’s territorial positions were Commander of the Suryakencana Military Command and Commander of the Brawijaya Regional Military Command.

His career continued to climb until he became governor of Akmil in 2010. Then, in 2014, Gatot officially served as the Army Chief of Staff. The peak of his career was to become a TNI commander at the age of 55, succeeding General Moeldoko, who entered his full tour of duty.

He became the 16th TNI commander who was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/7/2015). His inauguration is in accordance with Presidential Decree Number 49 / TNI2015 of July 6, 2015.

The controversy over the removal of Gatot as TNI commander

Gatot Nurmantyo was officially removed from his post as Commander of the Indonesian National Army on Friday (8/12/2017). This dismissal was marked by the inauguration of Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto as TNI commander by President Joko Widodo.

Gatot’s change of position has generated controversy.

Through the YouTube channel “Hersubeno Point”, Gatot stated that his change of position as Commander of TNI was related to his instructions to show the film G30S / PKI.

“When I became TNI commander, I saw it all, so I ordered my ranks to watch G30S / PKI. At that time I had a friend from one of the parties, I’ll call him PDI, saying, ‘Pak Gatot, stop that. If not, Mr. Gatot will be replaced, ‘”Gatot said in a YouTube broadcast on Wednesday (9/23/2020).

“I said, ‘Thank you,’ but instead I gasped because this is really dangerous, and I was really replaced,” Gatot said.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said it’s okay for Gatot Nurmantyo to argue that his removal from the TNI commander was due to the screening of the film G30S / PKI. However, he remembered that that was Gatot’s subjective opinion.

“Regarding his dismissal, that is a subjective opinion. Because it is a subjective assessment, it is fine, as far as feelings are concerned,” Moeldoko said in a written statement on Thursday (01/10/2020).

However, Moeldoko emphasized that Gatot’s feelings were not necessarily what his leader, President Joko Widodo, thought.

Then, on August 18, 2020, Gatot and various figures in Indonesia declared the Coalition for Action to Save Indonesia (WE) at the Proclamation Monument, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (8/18/2020).

WE is known as the moral movement of all Indonesians to uphold truth and social justice.