North Sulawesi ready to ward off violence<\/p>\n
MANADO, North Sulawesi (JP): North Sulawesi police have been
\nintensifying training and stepping up city patrols following the
\ngovernor's warning of possible sectarian violence and rioting.<\/p>\n
Operation control command chief at the North Sulawesi Police
\nheadquarters, Sr. Comr. Gordon Mogot, said on Friday that nobody
\nwould allow riots to take place in the province.<\/p>\n
North Sulawesi has been dubbed one of the nation's \"most
\npeaceful\" provinces following the country's recovery from a
\nseries of riots in 1998.<\/p>\n
\"Shooting training, improvement in the procedures for handling
\nreports and the expansion of intelligence networks have been
\nimplemented to suppress any unexpected incidents,\" Gordon said.<\/p>\n
Last Thursday, North Sulawesi deputy governor Freddy Sualang
\nsaid that rioters had identified the province as their next
\ntarget for provoking unrest, following on from massive violence
\nwhich recently overwhelmed Sampit in Central Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
He said that the recent drop in the price of copra could be
\nused as an instrument by people to instigate sectarian riots in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
Gordon said that the police took Sualang's warning seriously.
\n\"City patrols have been stepped up to 24 hours since then, with
\nthe most intensive patrol being conducted between 9 a.m. and 3
\na.m.\"<\/p>\n
He said that police units in all districts and villages had
\nbeen instructed to be on alert, depending on the situation in
\ntheir respective areas.<\/p>\n
\"The closed security system has also been optimized,\" he said,
\nciting that monitoring the activities of organizations related to
\nreligious and ethnic groups had been intensified. \"But we have
\nyet to contact the National Police headquarters in Jakarta
\nregarding the deputy governor's statements.\"<\/p>\n
Deputy governor Sualang said last week that his statements
\nwere meant to remind all provincial authorities that anything
\ncould happen unless vigilance were maintained. \"All sectors must
\nbe properly protected,\" he warned.<\/p>\n
Sualang reiterated that economic problems at the grassroots
\nlevel, such as the increase in fuel prices and the drop in copra
\nprice in the province, could be exploited by certain people to
\ncreate unrest.<\/p>\n
\"It's just a warning. So far there have been no indications of
\nunrest in North Sulawesi province.\" (38\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/north-sulawesi-ready-to-ward-off-violence-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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