Police on red alert for MPR Annual Session<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Two weeks prior to the People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR)
\nAnnual Session, police are gearing up to secure the event by
\nimposing a state of red alert.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara said, after
\nmeeting with MPR leaders on Thursday, that the state of red alert
\nmeant that police would utilize their full force in securing the
\nsession.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police have 20,895 personnel in total. Under red
\nalert, police personnel would not be permitted to take leave or
\ngo out of the city.<\/p>\n
"I have told them (the Assembly leaders) that we will tighten
\nsecurity as we must be on alert against possible bomb threats
\nhere," he said.<\/p>\n
A total of 1,300 personnel will be deployed to safeguard the
\n15-hectare House of Representatives (DPR)\/MPR compound and Hotel
\nMulia Senayan in Central Jakarta, where the Assembly members will
\nstay during the session, Jakarta Police Security for Key
\nFacilities, chief Sr. Comr. Oegroseno said.<\/p>\n
"However, special personnel will not guard Assembly members
\nindividually," he added.<\/p>\n
The military is expected to back up the police in maintaining
\nsecurity during the session, which is scheduled to take place
\nbetween Aug. 1 and Aug. 10.<\/p>\n
The Assembly's chairman, Amien Rais, said that all Assembly
\nmembers would be subject to security checks.<\/p>\n
"For security reasons, please, don't feel offended. Even the
\nAssembly's chairman and the House speaker are subject to ordinary
\nsecurity checks," he said.<\/p>\n
Amien revealed that to secure the session, police would spend
\nRp 1.1 billion (around US$134,146).<\/p>\n
"The costs will be financed by the National Police
\nHeadquarters' own budget. The funds are already available," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Also present at the meeting were National Police deputy chief,
\nComr. Gen. Kadaryanto and Jakarta Military Commander, Maj. Gen.
\nDjoko Santoso.<\/p>\n
During the Annual Session, several issues -- including the
\nrevocation of several of the Assembly's decrees deemed to be
\nobsolete -- will be discussed.<\/p>\n
"We have not received any threats so far. But, We have to
\nconsider the bombing at the airport, the bombing near the United
\nNations Office, and the last bomb attack at the House's compound,
\nas threats," said Makbul.<\/p>\n
He referred to the bombs set off at Departure Terminal F of
\nthe Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and behind the UN
\nRepresentative Office in Central Jakarta and the bomb that
\nexploded on Monday morning at the DPR\/MPR compound.<\/p>\n
Police have yet to name suspects or suggest motives for the
\nthree bombings.<\/p>\n
The government increased security measures nationwide, from
\nWednesday, by ordering police to tighten control over key areas
\nand by calling for the public to remain alert.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs,
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said that such measures were a result
\nof information from security authorities in Southeast Asia. The
\ninformation suggested that acts of terror were likely to continue
\nin the future and countries, including Indonesia, would be
\ntargeted.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police said that they were still searching for
\nexplosives allegedly transported by one of nine suspected members
\nof Jamaah Islamiyah.<\/p>\n
Police lost the chance to find out where the explosives were
\nwhen key suspect, Ikhwanuddin (alias Asim), committed suicide
\nbefore police could further question him.<\/p>\n
Ikhwanuddin was also believed to be responsible for the
\ntransportation of explosives, from Semarang to Jakarta, twice
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
Police also called for alert as a result of suspected JI
\nleader -- (identified as a bomb expert), Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi
\nof Indonesia's -- escape from the Cramp Crame prison in the
\nPhilippines. They warned that al-Ghozi was likely to return to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Alleged JI spiritual leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is currently
\nbeing tried at the Central Jakarta District Court for treason and
\nimmigration violations.<\/p>\n
Police believe that the group is ready to launch attacks on
\npublic places and churches and possibly assassinate public
\nfigures as they reportedly found that, 23 out of 26 bombs
\nprepared by JI members, were ready to be activated.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-on-red-alert-for-mpr-annual-session-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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