Five new military stations inaugurated

Five new military stations inaugurated

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso
inaugurated five new military sectors in Jakarta, Tangerang and
Bekasi yesterday.

Sutiyoso, whose jurisdiction covers the city's outskirts, said
the operation of the military stations (Koramil) were needed to
improve public services and territorial supervision.

"The military stations are expected to help police guard
public safety," Sutiyoso said at the ceremony, held at the
Kembangan housing complex at the military sector in Meruya, West
Jakarta.

The new military sector stations besides Kembangan were the
Jagakarsa military station, South Jakarta, the Duren Sawit
military station, East Jakarta, the Pondok Aren military station,
Tangerang and the Jati Asih military station in Bekasi.

The new military sector stations now support the respective
Bekasi and Tangerang military district commands.

The new stations, he said, were particularly essential as they
were located in government office and industrial areas, "where
people of various professions are concentrated," he said.

Ideally, Sutiyoso said, there should be 95 military sectors in
Jakarta alone, instead of the current 75.

Potential unrest could occur in residential areas where people
from middle and higher income levels, workers and the unemployed
live, he said.

"Territorial personnel are needed...to detect and prevent
potential threats...and to provide a sense of security for
residents," Sutiyoso said.

Personnel of the new stations should immediately attain full
knowledge of their environment, he said.

"Issues of religion, race and ethnic groups, and employment,
are still...sensitive areas," Sutiyoso said.

He urged the public to use the services of Alert Centers at
each military district command using hot line number 122.

The Alert Centers were set up following an instruction from
President Soeharto in January after riots occurred in several
areas.

Sutiyoso said the public has often reported disturbances or
complaints to the centers, including criminal activities. The
centers were designed to channel complaints to police or other
related offices.

"But reports declined after the general election," he said.
(jun)