Army promises tight security for SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): City Military Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who is also security chairman for the SEA Games, yesterday ordered a special 10,000-strong team to ensure tight security during the event.

Security at the 19th SEA Games should be tight, said Sjafrie at a ceremony attended by all of the teams personnel, including military and police officers and related agencies such as the City Fire Agency, Immigration and the Customs Office.

"The nation's honor is at stake," said Sjafrie.

He said all team members should carry out their respective tasks in a professional and strategic way.

"I order you to avoid even the smallest problem in handling any troubles which may possibly occur during the event," he said.

Sjafrie said the special team would be responsible for protecting the 5,800 athletes and officials from the 10 Southeast Asian countries.

Security would be particularly tight at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, sport venues, hotels and the environs, he said.

"Participating athletes and officials will be protected from the moment they arrive in Jakarta and during their stay until they leave Jakarta," Sjafrie said.

Yesterday's ceremony at the Senayan parking lot in Central Jakarta also displayed the wide range of security tools to be used by the team.

These include 10 helicopters, six armored vehicles, seven riot police vans, six tourist service cars and dozens of motorcycles.

"It doesn't mean we want to show off our force, it's purely to show that we're ready to protect the games, participants and officers and make the event a success," Sjafrie said.

The security task has been code-named Hanoman, the name of a smart white monkey in a popular local epic which is also used by host Indonesia as the symbol of the 19th SEA Games.

Sjafrie said the team has undergone training here to meet the security requirements of the SEA Games.

"We have to carefully monitor the athletes, games activities, venues, facilities and installations required for the events," he said.

During yesterday's ceremony, Sjafrie was accompanied by City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, who is deputy chairman of the security team, and Deputy Governor for administrative affairs, Abdul Kahfi.

After delivering his speech, Sjafrie and the two officials inspected the special team, assessing the readiness of the security officers and their equipment.

The team consists of 7,500 in-the-field members and 2,500 standbys at their respective home bases.

The games are scheduled to be officially opened by President Soeharto on Oct. 11 and officially closed by Vice President Try Sutrisno on Oct. 19.

Hamami said Thursday that athletes and their officials were not forbidden from any part of the city. (04)