ABRI maintains seven battalions in East Timor

ABRI maintains seven battalions in East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) currently has seven battalions stationed in East Timor as requested by the provincial government.

Maj. Gen. Adang Ruchiatna, the chief of the Udayana Military Command, said the military has no immediate plans either to increase or reduce the number of troops in the province, at least for the time being, the Antara news agency reported.

Six battalions consist of territorial troopers whose tasks are mainly comprised of civic missions such as helping with the local government's development programs. The other battalion is made up of combat troopers, he said.

The size of ABRI's presence is considered sufficient, he said, adding that the main mission of the troopers is to help with the development of the territory.

He added that the size might be reduced in the future depending on the situation in East Timor.

Adang was speaking during a visit to Baucau, a city in East Timor which was rocked by an ethnic riot on Sunday. The Udayana Command, which is headquartered in Denpasar, oversees the security situation in four provinces --East Timor, East and West Nusa Tenggara and Bali.

Adang said the Ministry of Defense and Security reviews ABRI's presence every six months.

The ministry in turn determines the number of battalions stationed in East Timor based on the needs and request of the provincial government, not solely the Ministry of Defense and Security, he said.(emb)