Government ups security for public, vital facilities<\/p>\n
Budianto Hananto, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
In anticipation of further terrorist attacks, the government
\nhas tightened security in all vital and public facilities across
\nthe country while encouraging the public to be vigilant and
\ninform the police of suspicious behavior.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Sunday that the National Police,
\nbacked up by the Indonesian Military (TNI), had taken the order
\nto secure the energy plants in particular.<\/p>\n
"We have some information that energy plants may be the next
\ntarget of terrorists ... We have tightened security in many areas
\nsuch as (oil and gas mining in Aceh) Arun, Kalimantan's Total and
\nfor Freeport in Irian Jaya, as well as buildings in major cities
\nin the country."<\/p>\n
Susilo was speaking to reporters before leaving for Jakarta to
\nhold an official press conference over the bomb blast late on
\nSaturday in Bali which killed some 200 people and injured more
\nthan 300 others, as well as another blast in Manado, North
\nSulawesi, that hit the Philippines consul general's office but
\nleft no fatalities.<\/p>\n
The blasts should be a turning point for the people here to
\n"change their ignorance" of the presence of terrorist groups in
\nIndonesia, Susilo stated, while adding that the limited
\nintelligence personnel would be unable to detect other attacks.<\/p>\n
"I ask the people to cooperate by submitting any information
\non paramilitary-like training in remote places. Nothing is
\nordinary about such things. Don't take it as a democratic
\nactivity," Susilo remarked.<\/p>\n
The government refused to reveal if it had any leads, and
\nwould wait until the conclusions from the State Intelligence
\nAgency (BIN) on the bombings, as well as evidence from the sites
\nof the blasts.<\/p>\n
Susilo claimed that the terrorists could be Indonesians or
\nforeigners, or possibly Indonesians cooperating with foreigners.<\/p>\n
He did, however, seem to believe that the Bali blasts were
\nconnected to the 1999 Christmas Eve bombings, the explosions in
\nAtrium shopping mall, Central Jakarta, the Jakarta Stock Exchange
\nin Central Jakarta, as well as this year's bomb attack on the
\nmilitary-owned Graha Cijantung shopping center, but refused to
\nreveal why he had made such a connection.<\/p>\n
Susilo made it clear that the people of Indonesia should fight
\nagainst terror out of self-interest and nationalism, while not
\nnecessarily aligning itself ideologically with countries it had
\nhad recent spats with. "We should take action (against
\nterrorism), not to serve the interests of other countries, but
\nours ... to protect our own people from such incidents," he said.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, the provincial police were planning to tighten
\nsecurity at 17 vital facilities, including the main office of
\nstate telecommunications firm PT Telkom, railway stations, bus
\nterminals, shopping centers, the provincial office of Bank
\nIndonesia, hotels, worship buildings and entertainment spots.<\/p>\n
Bandung police chief Sr. Comr. Hendra Sukmana quoted by Antara
\nas saying on Sunday that the police also would give special
\nprotection to several prominent facilities in West Java, such as
\nthe oil refinery in Indramayu and the power plants in Suralaya,
\nSaguling and Cirata.<\/p>\n
While in Surabaya, the police force had intensified
\nintelligence operations in public facilities and the U.S.
\nconsular compound since Sunday night, East Java police's chief of
\noperational control Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Kusnadi said.<\/p>\n
"We also deployed reinforcements to secure public facilities
\nsuch as bus terminals and entertainment spots but we will focus
\non covert operations for early detection on terrorist attacks as
\nwell as information from the people," he told Antara.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-ups-security-for-public-vital-facilities-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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