3,000 more recruited for civilian militia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city military command started two weeks
\ntraining for the second batch of the 3,000 recruits to the
\ngovernment-sponsored People's Security (Kamra) civilian militia
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
According to the command spokesman, Lt. Col. D.J. Nachrowi,
\nthe first group of the same number of people, who began their
\ntraining at Feb. 8, passed the training program recently and have
\nbeen dispatched to their respective posts at police stations in
\nGreater Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Nachrowi however would not elaborate on the positions of the
\nKamra graduates at the police posts.<\/p>\n
\"The Jakarta Military Command only handles training,\" he
\nargued.<\/p>\n
Similar to the first batch, the new recruits are also
\nundergoing training at centers belonging to the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI): the command's main regimental headquarters in Condet,
\nEast Jakarta; the health training center in Kramat Jati, East
\nJakarta; and the traffic police training center in Serpong,
\nTangerang.<\/p>\n
In Condet, for example, 191 recruits, all apparently in high
\nspirits, enthusiastically followed orders from their instructors
\non the first day of training.<\/p>\n
Shortly after attending the inauguration ceremony in the
\nmorning, the recruits, who are paid Rp 100,000 during the course
\nand Rp 200,000 per month during deployment, jogged across the
\nvast field of the Rindam Jaya complex.<\/p>\n
In the company of at least four instructors, the civilians
\nonly wore the Kamra light-brown uniform trousers and military-
\nstyle boots under the scorching midday sun.<\/p>\n
The instructors then escorted them to a 1,500 square-meter
\nasphalt court for two hours exercise before lunch, and continued
\nthe training inside the classes with \"discipline lessons\".<\/p>\n
Besides physical exercises and discipline lessons, the Kamra
\ntrainees are also taught how to improve their approach to patrol
\ntechniques, human rights issues and the law, Nachrowi said.<\/p>\n
During the training at Condet on Monday, no guns or other
\nweapons were used by the recruits during drills.<\/p>\n
But Nachrowi said that all Kamra recruits would receive
\ntraining in self-defense skills.<\/p>\n
\"This is normal since all schools of all levels also offer
\nself-defense exercises to their students,\" he said, without
\nexplaining the type of weapons to be used by the Kamra recruits
\nduring training.<\/p>\n
According to a notice displayed at Rindam Jaya, the training
\nis to be divided into four batches with 3,000 recruits each. The
\ntraining will last to the end of April.<\/p>\n
But Nachrowi said that he had no idea when the program would
\nbe completed.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, the command is looking for a total of
\n12,000 recruits among male citizens between 18 and 45 years old,
\neach with a minimum junior high school background.<\/p>\n
The recruitment started on Jan. 11 and would last through
\nMarch 12.<\/p>\n
Applicants pay nothing to register for the force, which,
\naccording to officials, is aimed at assisting police in
\nmaintaining law and order and to safeguard the capital during
\nJune's general election.<\/p>\n
The program has prompted pros and cons among the public as
\nmany people have worried the presence of the Kamra members would
\nonly ignite fresh violence between them and the public,
\nparticularly during the election campaigns.<\/p>\n
Kamra personnel would also be authorized to carry out various
\npolice duties, including checking ID cards, making arrests and
\ntaking information from suspects.<\/p>\n
Separately, Nachrowi said that his command has dispatched
\n1,600 reservists to assist the Jakarta Police in coping with
\nescalating street crime in the capital.<\/p>\n
\"After last year's Special Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly\/House of Representatives, the reservists
\nhave nothing significant to do so we have been deploying them to
\nassist the police since the end of January,\" Nachrowi said.<\/p>\n
Members of this troop, he said, were using motorcycles in
\ntheir daily operations. (01)<\/p>",
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