ABRI to start training 40,000 civilian security

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto told a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that ABRI would start training 40,000 members of People's Security (Kamra) in January as part of its controversial civilian militia recruitment plan.

Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus disclosed Wiranto's report to the meeting on political affairs and security, chaired by President B.J. Habibie at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Yunus quoted Wiranto as saying that 40,000 Kamra members would be trained at ABRI training centers throughout the country to prepare them to help police in safeguarding the general election in June next year and the presidential election in November.

Yunus cited presidential decree No. 55, issued in 1972, and other decrees as the legal basis for the plan.

"For the first step, about 40,000 people will be recruited, maybe because we have to face the general election," Yunus said after attending the six-hour meeting.

Yunus said the government was fully aware of the controversy over the plan but indicated the recruitment was not against the law.

Following days of public uproar, the government dropped a plan to establish a civilian militia known as Ratih, the acronym for rakyat terlatih or trained civilians, pending a law issuance on the matter. The government originally sought to recruit 75,000 for the militia, whose existence would be to help security personnel safeguard the general election.

Yunus cited other types of civilian security, including People's Resistance (Wanra), aimed at assisting ABRI in defense affairs, and Public Order (Tibum), to assist the Ministry of Home Affairs in keeping public order.

Yunus did not mention the civilian defense unit (Hansip), whose members are usually hired as neighborhood guards.

"I think the budget (for the Kamra) is already available," Yunus noted.

Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto had said his ministry had not allocated any special fund from the State Budget to finance the plan.

Muslim leader Amien Rais is among critics of the plan. He argued that people were still traumatized by the deployment of up to 125,000 civilians during last month's Special Session of People's Consultative Assembly. Bloody clashes were unavoidable with student protesters at that time.

"The quality and quantity of security personnel to safeguard the general election are still not enough," Yunus asserted.

Minister of Justice Muladi said on Monday the government would temporarily deploy the Kamra and Hansip until the establishment of the civilian militia was approved by the House of Representatives.

"The civilian militia's main duty is to protect the security of the people, while Hansip and Kamra are responsible for security in the neighborhood," Muladi said at the time.

"The duty of the Kamra as a part of civilian militia, among other things, is to help police in security and order," Yunus said on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Wiranto also explained about the Council for Enforcement of Security and Law and assured that the council's sole purpose was to help the President in formulating his strategic policies. The council itself also gets strong opposition.

The council will hold its first meeting on Thursday.

According to Yunus, Wiranto said the presence of the Agency for Coordination of Support for the Development of National Stability (Bakorstanas) was vital for the country despite the new council's existence because it had lines of command up to military command's lowest level.

Wiranto, who chairs the agency, will become the executive chairman of the council.

"The presence of Bakorstanas is still extremely needed," Yunus said. (prb)