JP\/3\/Cleansing\/set lead 3 cols 10 pts\/12 MB<\/p>\n
Hendro: \"Jakarta is secure\"<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen.
\nHendroprijono said yesterday security in the city was under
\ncontrol, denouncing reports that a curfew would be imposed amidst
\nrumors of racial riots hitting the city.<\/p>\n
\"We are not at war. No curfew is imposed during Operation
\nCleansing. There were only raids on people who gather and loiter
\nall night drunk or half-drunk,\" said the two-star general
\nyesterday after the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction
\nof the Jakarta military commander's official residence on Jl.
\nTeuku Umar No. 60, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The general was quoted by local papers on Tuesday as saying
\nthat an army curfew was being imposed as part of Operation
\nCleansing. Hendroprijono, popularly called Hendro, says he was
\nmisquoted.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. HBL Mantiri, chief of staff of the Armed Forces for
\ngeneral affairs, also said in a nationwide television statement
\nthat Hendro was misquoted.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta military command yesterday received a series of
\ntelephone calls from foreign news agencies and an embassy asking
\nfor clarification of the curfew reports.<\/p>\n
\"We need no curfew. Jakarta is secure. Only one or two persons
\ntried to mess the security. But we already captured some of them,
\nincluding paid killers and drug traffickers, as you saw yesterday
\n(Tuesday),\" Hendro said, referring to the haul during the ongoing
\nanti-crime operation put on display at East Jakarta Military
\nHeadquarters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Almost 500 drunkards and criminals have been apprehended in
\nthe first ten days, along with 40,000 bottles of spirits, five
\nfirearms and 100 sharp weapons.<\/p>\n
Hendro said the operation's squad started to examine begadang
\n(slang for \"talking and gathering at night\") people starting from
\n11 p.m. every night, to find if they were drunk or carrying sharp
\nweapons.<\/p>\n
Hendro also said after ten days the operation, initially
\ninvolving 16,700 personnel recruited from the army, navy, air
\nforce and police forces, many volunteers have joined, including
\nthe \"mosque youth,\" the KNPI (Indonesian Youth National
\nCommittee) and martial arts organizations.<\/p>\n
\"The personnel has tripled now. The public gets braver,\" said
\nthe commander, who peppered his interview with a lot of jokes and
\nlaughter, as usual.<\/p>\n
Rumor<\/p>\n
Hendro also denounced rumors that some areas in Jakarta have
\nbeen paralyzed by racial riots.<\/p>\n
\"It's useless rumors spread by some irresponsible individuals
\nwho can do nothing anymore. We can detect anything they want to
\ndo,\" said Hendro.<\/p>\n
The general declined to identify \"they\".<\/p>\n
Many papers were telephoned by unidentified persons Tuesday
\nevening saying that racial riots occurred in Tanjung Priok,
\nGlodok business area and Senen shopping centers as well as in
\nareas along Jl. Jendral Sudirman, all apparently not true.<\/p>\n
\"The rumors must be spread by a crazy man who telephoned
\neverywhere. We would be stupid to believe it,\" said Hendro.<\/p>\n
The Post also received phone calls from a foreign embassy and
\na number of individuals seeking clarification about the rumors on
\nrace riots.<\/p>\n
The fake mail bomb delivered to the U.S. embassy on Tuesday,
\nhe said, might have been sent by the same person who spread the
\nrumors about the riots.<\/p>\n
Hendro yesterday also presided over the groundbreaking
\nceremony marking the start of the construction of army barracks
\nat Yon Arhanudse-6 (the Medium Air Defense Artillery Battalion-6)
\nin Legoa district, North Jakarta. (jsk)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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