3,000 more recruited for civilian militia

JAKARTA (JP): The city military command started two weeks training for the second batch of the 3,000 recruits to the government-sponsored People's Security (Kamra) civilian militia on Monday.

According to the command spokesman, Lt. Col. D.J. Nachrowi, the first group of the same number of people, who began their training at Feb. 8, passed the training program recently and have been dispatched to their respective posts at police stations in Greater Jakarta.

Nachrowi however would not elaborate on the positions of the Kamra graduates at the police posts.

"The Jakarta Military Command only handles training," he argued.

Similar to the first batch, the new recruits are also undergoing training at centers belonging to the Armed Forces (ABRI): the command's main regimental headquarters in Condet, East Jakarta; the health training center in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta; and the traffic police training center in Serpong, Tangerang.

In Condet, for example, 191 recruits, all apparently in high spirits, enthusiastically followed orders from their instructors on the first day of training.

Shortly after attending the inauguration ceremony in the morning, the recruits, who are paid Rp 100,000 during the course and Rp 200,000 per month during deployment, jogged across the vast field of the Rindam Jaya complex.

In the company of at least four instructors, the civilians only wore the Kamra light-brown uniform trousers and military- style boots under the scorching midday sun.

The instructors then escorted them to a 1,500 square-meter asphalt court for two hours exercise before lunch, and continued the training inside the classes with "discipline lessons".

Besides physical exercises and discipline lessons, the Kamra trainees are also taught how to improve their approach to patrol techniques, human rights issues and the law, Nachrowi said.

During the training at Condet on Monday, no guns or other weapons were used by the recruits during drills.

But Nachrowi said that all Kamra recruits would receive training in self-defense skills.

"This is normal since all schools of all levels also offer self-defense exercises to their students," he said, without explaining the type of weapons to be used by the Kamra recruits during training.

According to a notice displayed at Rindam Jaya, the training is to be divided into four batches with 3,000 recruits each. The training will last to the end of April.

But Nachrowi said that he had no idea when the program would be completed.

"Maybe next year," he said.

As reported earlier, the command is looking for a total of 12,000 recruits among male citizens between 18 and 45 years old, each with a minimum junior high school background.

The recruitment started on Jan. 11 and would last through March 12.

Applicants pay nothing to register for the force, which, according to officials, is aimed at assisting police in maintaining law and order and to safeguard the capital during June's general election.

The program has prompted pros and cons among the public as many people have worried the presence of the Kamra members would only ignite fresh violence between them and the public, particularly during the election campaigns.

Kamra personnel would also be authorized to carry out various police duties, including checking ID cards, making arrests and taking information from suspects.

Separately, Nachrowi said that his command has dispatched 1,600 reservists to assist the Jakarta Police in coping with escalating street crime in the capital.

"After last year's Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives, the reservists have nothing significant to do so we have been deploying them to assist the police since the end of January," Nachrowi said.

Members of this troop, he said, were using motorcycles in their daily operations. (01)