Alert centers to be permanent: Officials<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two senior officials said yesterday that the aim
\nof the planned riot alert centers was not to solve transient
\nproblems but to be permanent establishments.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Coordinating
\nMinister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman
\nseparately denied speculation that the \"alert command centers\"
\nare to be created to anticipate possible trouble in the upcoming
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
\"They're not being established only for the general election.
\nThey will remain in existence afterwards,\" Feisal said during the
\nbreaking-of-the-fast dinner at his official residence on Jl.
\nDiponegoro in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said the general election, scheduled for May 29, was
\nnot the reason for the establishment of the alert centers.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to see this nation endangered by upheavals.
\nTherefore we are making every effort to prevent them from
\nhappening,\" Soesilo said while hosting a similar breaking-of-the-
\nfast ceremony at the Jakarta telecommunications office in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
He said he had no idea how long the alert centers might
\noperate. \"Let's just wait and see,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Feisal said that the alert centers would be stationed in every
\none of the more than 240 district military commands nationwide.<\/p>\n
\"They will be run by the chiefs of the district military
\ncommands,\" he said, while reports drawn up by the centers on
\npossible unrest will be brought to provincial administration
\ncouncil meetings.<\/p>\n
He dismissed speculation that the alert centers would take
\nover the role of the existing local security agency and the
\npolice, or replace the internal security agency or the Agency for
\nCoordinating National Defense and Stability.<\/p>\n
\"The agency operates at the national and provincial levels,
\nwhile the alert command centers would be posted in regencies and
\nmunicipalities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The alert centers will not take over the police's job either,
\nas they will only deal with preventive measures. If the
\nprovincial administration council considers it necessary to take
\naction, the center will forward its report to the police,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Separately, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Amir Syarifuddin
\nsaid the alert centers would be established nationwide on Jan.
\n30.<\/p>\n
The creation of the centers was first announced by President
\nSoeharto last week when receiving managers of cooperatives owned
\nby the Islamic boarding schools.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said the establishment of such centers was necessary
\nto prevent a recurrence of the riots that rocked the country over
\nthe past two years. (imn\/amd)<\/p>\n
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