ABRI establishes crack riot force

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto launched on Monday a special highly-trained force for rapid deployment to quell riots occurring anywhere in the country.

One battalion of the force was sent right away to riot-torn Ambon in Maluku on Monday evening.

The force, under the command of National Police Chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, consists of 3,333 soldiers from the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), its Special Forces (Kopassus), the Marines, the Air Force special troops (Paskhas) and the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob).

It is made up of several teams specializing in combat and strike operations, intelligence, law enforcement and medication.

Wiranto, concurrently the defense and security minister, said the force would also arrest rioters and their masterminds, as well as reveal the causes of riots.

The force will be on alert 24 hours a day, "ready for mobilization at any time and able to carry out their tasks quickly and thoroughly," according to Wiranto in the installment ceremony at the Brimob headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Bogor, West Java.

The force would also be in charge of maintaining the law as well as upholding the government and security, he said.

Also attending the ceremony were Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, Navy chief Admiral Widodo A.S., Air Force Deputy Chief Vice Marshal I Gede Sudana, Roesmanhadi and chief of ABRI's Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Gen. Wiranto said the riot force has been formed in response to the spate of unrest rocking the country in the past months, as well as the unstable situation in the run-up to the June 7 general elections and November presidential elections.

"Following the People's Consultative Assembly Special Session last November, we saw violent riots, looting, inter-group conflicts, all posing a threat of disintegration unless they were handled quickly and thoroughly," he said.

He said the riots were part of a systematic attempt to undermine national unity and, finally, to topple the legal government. He did not name the parties behind such campaigns.

"The instability has been marked by friction among the political elite, the increasing crime rate and public ignorance of law and order," he said.

He said the special force has been formed because all parts of the country were quite prone to riots and social conflicts, while there was only a limited number of security personnel stationed in the regions.

The National Police could not on its own handle the riots and maintain security and order, he said, citing the fact that each of the 180,000 police personnel had to serve 10,200 people.

The ideal ratio is 1:350, he said.

He asked the riot force to be extra vigilant in its investigation of riots in the face of increasing pressure on the government to respect human rights.

During a 20-minute inspection of the force, Gen. Wiranto also checked the weapons and equipment of each soldier.

"Do you have any prior experience in handling riots?" Wiranto asked one of the troopers while checking his SS-1 assault rifle.

"No, sir," the young policeman said.

Wiranto then asked the police to thoroughly study the procedures of handling the masses during rioting.

Usman, one of the five rottweiler dogs attached to the force attracted Wiranto's attention as he only obeyed orders in English.

Each of the dogs receives a food allowance worth Rp 13,000 (US$1.5) per day while one soldier gets Rp 7,500 per day.

"Do you know why the dog receives more food allowance than you do?" Wiranto asked its keeper.

Participants in the ceremony burst into laughter when the soldier answered loudly, "Because he is a dog." (rms/emf)