Maluku Police collect weapons<\/p>\n
Oktavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon<\/p>\n
Hundreds of assembled guns, sharp weapons and ammunition were
\ncollected by the police in strife-torn Ambon in recognition of
\nthe Malino peace deal, which aims to eliminate violence in the
\narea, provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko D.A. said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
People voluntarily surrendered their weapons to security
\npersonnel on Thursday, including residents of three villages who
\ndelivered a total of 125 guns and ammunition to the police Mobile
\nBrigade (Brimob) on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The residents of Rutong, Leahari and Hutumuri villages in
\nSirimau district of Ambon on Friday observed the surrendering of
\nweaponry at Maluku Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Among the weaponry collected were 54 rifles, 24 handguns, 48
\nbazookas, 25 homemade bombs, 224 rounds of ammunition of various
\ncalibers, 716 arrows, 16 bows, 16 swords and dozens of spears.<\/p>\n
"No standard police or military weapons were among the
\nhaul ... but some of the ammunition is standard military\/police
\nissue," Soenarko said.<\/p>\n
Soenarko further said local residents, such as those of Soya
\nvillage, had four times surrendered their weapons en mass to the
\npolice. Similar gestures had been made at Pulau Ambon Police
\nstation in Central Maluku.<\/p>\n
Some of those who handed guns over to security forces were
\nmembers of the police and the military, Soenarko said. "But most
\nof them asked for anonymity," he added.<\/p>\n
"In principle, we collect guns and ammunition from any
\nunauthorized parties," the officer stressed.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the police would do house searches for guns in
\nApril -- due to the fact that the deadline for surrendering
\nweapons, according to the Malino peace deal, is March 31 --
\nSoenarko said that the matter would further be discussed by
\nMaluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina as the civil emergency
\nadministrator and Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. Mustopo
\nas the security operational commander in Maluku.<\/p>\n
The Malino peace deal, penned by the government and
\nrepresentatives of all warring camps in Maluku in the remote
\nMalino town of South Sulawesi in mid-February, requires that all
\nunauthorized weaponry must be surrendered to the authorities.<\/p>\n
In another development, Soenarko said that the police had
\ntaken stern measures against two Brimob personnel who reportedly
\nraped a female economics student of Pattimura University at the
\nNatsepa beach resort in Suli of Salabutu district in the Ambon
\nislands on March 12.<\/p>\n
The two Brimob personnel, Pvt. Wayan and Pvt. Pandia, have
\nbeen shipped back to their base at Brimob I regiment, pending
\nfurther administrative and legal sanctions.<\/p>\n
"I personally recommended that the two men be discharged from
\ntheir unit because what they did tarnishes the image of the
\nMobile Brigade Corps and the police in general," Soenarko said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maluku-police-collect-weapons-1447893297",
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