Authorities brace for MPR General Session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A joint force involving some 30,000 police
\nofficers and members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) will soon
\nlaunch Operation Martabrata VI to safeguard the General Session
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) slated for early
\nNovember, a senior police official said on Friday.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar said
\nthe operation would start 45 days before the Assembly's General
\nSession and continue until a month after it ends.<\/p>\n
\"Security will be tight in Jakarta. We had our first formal
\nmeeting on Friday, and representatives from the Army, Air Force
\nand Navy Headquarters were invited to discuss the issue,\" Togar
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said those to be deployed in the operation were members
\nfrom the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), Army Strategic Reserves
\nCommand (Kostrad), Navy's Elite Marine troops and Navy's West
\nFleet (Armabar), Air Force Operations Command (Koopsau), National
\nAir Defense Command (Kohanudnas) and Air Force Special Troops
\n(Paskhas) and Elite Police Mobile Brigade.<\/p>\n
Deputy city police chief Brig. Gen. Sutanto said in early July
\nthat 42,300 personnel would be deployed here during the
\nAssembly's General Session.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus said
\nearlier this month that President B.J. Habibie instructed
\nMinister of Defense and Security\/TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto and
\nNational Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi to concentrate troops
\naround the MPR\/House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Senayan,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Yunus said the President also asked the military chief to
\ndeploy troops around the hotels where the 700 MPR members would
\nbe staying at during the General Session.<\/p>\n
The new DPR\/MPR members are scheduled to be inducted on Oct.
\n1. They will meet again some time early November to elect a new
\npresident and vice president, and endorse the State Policy
\nGuidelines (GBHN).<\/p>\n
During the MPR Special Session last November, the military
\ndeployed about 80,000 troops. They were assisted by about 125,000
\narmed civilian militiamen (Pamswakarsa), the deployment of which
\ncreated heated controversy.<\/p>\n
As the Special Session got underway on Nov. 13, 1998, armed
\npolice and troops opened fire on university students marching to
\nthe MPR building.<\/p>\n
Twelve people died and 150 others were seriously injured,
\nmostly from gunshot wounds, in a clash at the Semanggi cloverleaf
\nin Jakarta. (ylt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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