Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Monday attended the funeral honors ceremony for former defense minister and army chief in Jakarta, paying his final respects to a longtime military colleague.
Prabowo arrived at the Defense Ministry complex at around 8:25 a.m. local time and proceeded to a hall where Ryamizard’s body had been laid in state. In a solemn moment, the president stood before the casket and offered prayers in honor of the late general’s service to the nation.
Ryamizard’s body arrived at the ministry earlier in the morning and was placed in front of the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Hall. The state funeral ceremony was led by Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan.
Ryamizard died on Sunday at the age of 76 while undergoing treatment at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Jakarta, according to his family. The cause of death was not disclosed.
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Following the ceremony at the Defense Ministry, the funeral procession departed for the Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta, where Ryamizard was buried with full military honors. Defense Minister served as inspector of the burial ceremony.
The military funeral reflected the state’s recognition of Ryamizard’s decades of service as a soldier and public official.
Ryamizard served as Indonesia’s defense minister during the first administration of former president from 2014 to 2019. Earlier, he served as chief of staff of the Indonesian Army from 2002 to 2005, after holding several key positions including commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command and commander of the Greater Jakarta Military Regional Command.
As defense minister, Ryamizard championed the concept of “state defense,” a policy aimed at strengthening national resilience through voluntary civilian participation rather than compulsory military service. He also promoted trilateral maritime patrol cooperation among Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to combat piracy and security threats in the Sulu Sea.
Throughout his military career, Ryamizard took part in operations against separatist movements in Aceh, Papua, North Kalimantan, and parts of Sulawesi. He also commanded Indonesian troops serving in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cambodia in 1992.
Prabowo’s presence at Monday’s ceremony underscored the government’s recognition of Ryamizard’s contributions to Indonesia’s military and national defense institutions. The two men were contemporaries in the Indonesian Army and shared decades of service in the armed forces.
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