50,000 civilians to help secure special session

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Thursday its plan to recruit some 50,000 civilians to help safeguard the city during the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), scheduled to begin on Aug. 1.

Speaking after the City's Collective Leadership Meeting at City Hall, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said the civilian force would consist of local residents, including Pendekar Betawi (martial arts experts indigenous to Jakarta).

Sutiyoso, who was a former Jakarta Military commander, said the residents would be backed up by 25,000 military and police officers officially assigned to secure the special session.

He said police have promised to deploy 40,000 officers if the situation worsens, with the number extending to 100,000 in the event of a crisis situation.

"So I hope Jakarta residents will not worry about security and continue their daily activities as normal. Let the security be handled by the police and the administration," he added.

Sutiyoso also guaranteed the security of foreigners in the city, hoping that they would not leave because of the special session.

Most of the civilian security force will comprise of jobless people and hoodlums, locally known as preman. The city administration categorizes those people as potmas, or potensi masyarakat, which literally means the community's potential.

The city's five mayoralties have currently assigned hundreds of citizens to help public order offices. Wearing official uniforms and armed with sharp weapons, they recently conducted a campaign against street vendors and buskers.

Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob, who attended the meeting, said the police have also assigned 100 sharpshooters, members of the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), to safeguard the city prior to the special session.

"The sharpshooters are deployed in 17 key locations throughout the city, including shopping areas in Glodok, West Jakarta, and Pasar Baru in Central Jakarta. They commenced their duty as of yesterday until Aug. 1," Sofjan told reporters.

He said the sharpshooters, who ride motorcycles, are also equipped with small fire extinguishers to extinguish fires lit by rioters.

"The sharpshooters are able to ride their motorcycles up stairs to the third floor of a shopping center when chasing rioters," Sofjan claimed.

Asked about the possibility of having an expedited special session, Sutiyoso admitted that he, personally, supported the possibility.

"The sooner, the better. I don't want to suffer too long," he said.

He said that waiting for the special session was like a test of spirit, saying it would not be healthy to conduct such a stressful test over a long period of time.

However, he insisted that this should no be viewed as a supporter or opponent of President Abdurrahman Wahid. "We shall follow the Constitution," he added.

It is almost inevitable that the President will be impeached during the special session. (jun)