Aceh to have 10 additional police precincts this year

Aceh to have 10 additional police precincts this year

P.C. Naommy, Jakarta

The National Police will establish 10 new precincts in the
restive province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) to improve
security following the imposition of a state of civil emergency.

"Currently, there are only 10 precincts for 20 municipalities
and towns in Aceh. That's why we have already made preparations
for 10 new precincts in the province," National Police chief Gen.
Da'i Bachtiar said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He announced the plan after presiding over a ceremony at the
National Police Headquarters for security preparations for the
upcoming presidential election on July 5.

Da'i said that his office was recruiting personnel and
developing infrastructure for the 10 precincts so as to realize
full police capacity in Aceh.

"We won't withdraw our forces from Aceh, even though martial
law has been replaced by a state of civil emergency," he added.

About 40,000 military and police troops were deployed to the
troubled province after it was placed under martial law on May
19, 2003, to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The government
officially declared the commencement of the state of civil
emergency on Saturday.

Da'i said the planned 10 new precincts were among 20 to be
established by the National Police in Indonesia this year.

He said earlier the National Police still needed to build 120
more police stations across the country, but his office could
afford to build only 20 new ones per year.

"So it will take about six years for the remainder (100) to
come onstream," he added.

Da'i added that this year the National Police would prioritize
the building of new police stations in border areas and regions
hit by conflict.

More than Rp 20 billion (US$2.2 million) has been allocated to
set up police posts at border areas in East Nusa Tenggara, West
Kalimantan, North Sulawesi and Papua in 2004.