Protests not banned during int'l summit<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Bandung<\/p>\n
The government said on Monday that activists would be allowed to
\nstage peaceful protests or rival conferences to mark the golden
\njubilee of the Asian-African Summit later this month, while
\npolice said they would tighten security to thwart terror attacks
\nduring the international event.<\/p>\n
Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs Juwono Sudarsono asked any
\nwould-be protesters to be orderly, if they plan to hold protests
\nor rival conferences.<\/p>\n
\"Demonstrations are no problem, but keep it orderly,\" he said
\nafter a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nNational Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar to
\ndiscuss security arrangements for the summit.<\/p>\n
A variety of meetings are scheduled for Jakarta on April 22
\nand April 23, then continued in Bandung a day later to mark the
\n50th commemoration of the Asian-African Summit in 1955. Delegates
\nfrom more than 100 counties, including 56 heads of state, are
\nexpected to attend.<\/p>\n
\"We must treat our guests in a good and proper manner,\"
\nJuwono, who is the defense minister, exhorted. Juwono represented
\nforeign minister Hassan Wirayuda who is in the Philippines for an
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting.<\/p>\n
Juwono said President Susilo asked for \"proper security
\narrangements\" to prevent demonstrations during the event from
\nturning violent.<\/p>\n
\"Protests must not be too excessive,\" Juwono reiterated.<\/p>\n
A number of non-governmental organizations have made plans to
\nhold a series of separate conferences during the summit as the
\ngovernment has refused to let them participate.<\/p>\n
The rival meetings will be held in Jakarta, Bandung, Garut and
\nYogyakarta, involving at least 15 foreign and local NGOs.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said all
\nprovincial police departments will be involved in the security
\narrangements for the summit to prevent possible terror attacks
\nduring the forum.<\/p>\n
\"We will alert all provincial police, because we have to
\nanticipate possible terror attacks as they (terrorists) may take
\nthis opportunity to launch attacks,\" he surmised.<\/p>\n
The police, Da'i claimed, were still trying to find key terror
\nsuspects, most notably Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin Husin and
\nNoordin Mohd. Top, who police have determined were the
\nmasterminds behind a series of bombings across the country.<\/p>\n
\"We have prepared and launched police operations for the
\nsecurity arrangements of the summit. The focal points are the
\nJakarta Police and the West Java Police backed by the National
\nPolice,\" Da'i explained.<\/p>\n
However, he added there were no specific indications of
\npossible terror attacks before or during the summit.<\/p>\n
The police will focus on protecting foreign dignitaries,
\nparticularly heads of state attending the event, in addition to
\nsecuring the summit venue and hotels where delegates will stay in
\nJakarta and Bandung.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, the summit national committee head Lt. Gen. (ret)
\nAgus Widjojo said the police and military would jointly deploy
\nsharpshooters to strategic locations during the event.<\/p>\n
The sharpshooters are needed to minimize security threats
\nduring the summit, he added. \"It's a big event with a large
\nnumber of important people. We want all of this to run smoothly.\"<\/p>\n
Col. M. Toto Moersad, security coordinator for the summit,
\nsaid there were at least 42 \"vulnerable spots\" which delegates
\nwill have to travel past over the seven-kilometer drive from the
\nBandung airport to the Gedung Merdeka building, the venue of the
\ncommemoration.<\/p>\n
\"These spots are prone to security problems, traffic jams and
\nflooding,\" he explained.<\/p>",
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