Government will dissolve Kamra despite threat of protest<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite facing threats of violent protest, the
\ngovernment will continue with its plan to dissolve the civilian
\nguards of the People's Security (Kamra) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the National Police's tight agenda for its year-end
\nactivities, Kamra will officially be dissolved tomorrow
\n(Wednesday),\" spokesman for the Ministry of Defense for foreign
\ncooperation Commodore A.F.M. Kamto Soetirto told The Jakarta Post
\non Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"By the end of this year, the police are supposed to
\nconcentrate only on securing the two religious holidays,
\nChristmas and Idul Fitri,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kamto said the ceremony to dissolve Kamra will be held at each
\ncity police or police precinct and will be presided over by each
\ncity police chief and the police precinct chief, respectively.<\/p>\n
\"During the ceremony, we (government) will give them (Kamra
\nmembers) certificates of service and compensation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He, however, declined to mention the amount of the
\ncompensation.<\/p>\n
The government had earlier promised to give compensation to
\nabout 36,000 Kamra, which is equivalent to a Kamra member's four
\nmonths salary.<\/p>\n
Each Kamra member was paid Rp 200,000 (US$21) per month last
\nyear. Their salary was increased to Rp 250,000 per month this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Kamra was established in 1998 based on the Law No. 56\/1998 for
\ncivilian militia. The government initially recruited 41,000 Kamra
\nmembers, but the number has decreased due to desertion, dismissal
\nand various other reasons.<\/p>\n
The 1998 Law stipulates that Kamra members will serve for one
\nyear, with maximum extension period of one year. Their service
\nwill end on Dec. 31, 2000.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration, which houses a total 12,000 Kamra
\nmembers, has announced that it had found jobs for 8,000 Kamra
\nmembers, some 2,500 of whom will be employed by the
\nadministration as city public order officials and the remaining
\n5,500 by private companies, such as PT Astra Motors, with
\npositions as security guards.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the fate of the remaining 4,000 Kamra members in
\nthe capital remains uncertain.<\/p>\n
Kamto suggested that any Kamra members seeking positions in
\nthe Indonesian Military (TNI) or the National Police, should wait
\nuntil June or July next year.<\/p>\n
\"TNI has a fixed recruitment period, between June and July
\neach year. If only TNI was to recruit Kamra members, then
\nprobably only 10 of them would meet the requirements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Monday, the Kamra members threatened to run amok if
\nthe government does not give assurances about their future in the
\nnext three days.<\/p>\n
Chief of Kamra's Surakarta, Central Java, detachment P.D.
\nPrihanto, who led about 1,000 Kamra in a rally from the Jakarta
\nPolice Headquarters to the House of Representatives (DPR)
\nbuilding on Tuesday, separately said that Kamra members were
\ndemanding assurances that their future would be secure.<\/p>\n
\"We do not care about the certificates, or anything else. We
\nonly ask the government to keep its promise and gain entry for us
\ninto the National Police, the TNI, or government offices,\"
\nPrihanto said.<\/p>\n
He accused the government of talking nonsense when it said
\nthat it had jobs for the Kamra members.<\/p>\n
\"PT Astra has set requirements which are higher than the ones
\nneeded to join the Military Academy (Akabri), while none of our
\nmembers from Jakarta have been employed by the Jakarta
\nadministration,\" Prihanto said.<\/p>\n
Most of the Kamra members are only elementary school
\ngraduates. They were trained for only 11 days prior to being
\nrecruited to help the police maintain nationwide order and
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Prihanto also noted that Kamra members did not sign a working
\ncontract with the government when they joined to help the police
\nforce. (02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-will-dissolve-kamra-despite-threat-of-protest-1447893297",
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