East Timor gets new police chief

JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Col. Silvanus Yulian Wenas was sworn in as East Timor's new police chief in the capital Dili, replacing Andreas Sumary Sugianto on Saturday.

Wenas was previously chief of the Central Jakarta police precinct. Andreas Sugianto will assume his new stint as the Jakarta city police inspector.

Swearing in Wenas was chief of the Udayana regional military command Maj. Gen. Benyamin L.S. Mamuaya, who oversees security in East Timor, Nusa Tanggara and Bali.

Mamuaya said that the security situation in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that became part of Indonesia in 1976, is improving and that development efforts continue to progress.

Despite improvements, Mamuaya asked East Timor police to improve their level of professionalism, Antara reported.

East Timor continues to face a low-level armed uprising by remnants of the Fretilin guerrillas opposed to Indonesia's rule.

Mamuaya said that conflicts sparked by the delicate issues of religion and race must be handled carefully. (pan)