JP/3/OPSIH

JP/3/OPSIH

Police, military vow to clean up Jakarta's streets

JAKARTA (JP): The police and the military pledged to clearing
criminals from the Jakarta greater area before the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bogor, a scenic town sixty
kilometers south of here, in November.

"We've to work together and start cleaning up this city and
its surrounding areas from bandits, thieves and other kinds of
street criminals, to assure the security of the APEC meetings,"
City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told reporters
yesterday.

He was speaking at a press conference about the latest results
of the on-going anti-crime operation, called Operasi Bersih 94
(Operation Cleansing), which has involved 16,700 police and
military members. Hindarto was flanked by city police and
military officials, including spokesman of the two institutions
and heads of police and military district headquarters in and
around the city.

The annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) ministerial forum is scheduled to take place in Bogor,
less than one-hour drive from Jakarta.

A number of heads of government from APEC members, including
President Bill Clinton of the United States, are expected to
attend the leadership meeting.

APEC members include all ASEAN countries -- Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, -- along with
the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South
Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Mexico.

"We, for example, will not only safeguard the area where U.S.
President Bill Clinton stays or passes by, but the whole Jakarta
greater area as well, whether he will be there or not," Hindarto
insisted.

But most of the meeting participants are expected to stay in
five-star hotels in Jakarta, although all the proceedings will be
held in Bogor.

Therefore, Hindarto said, "there will be no reason for us to
stop the ongoing integrated anti-crime operation if we want to
see the big meetings succeed or run smoothly."

Results

Since the crime crackdown kicked off 18 days ago, on April 11,
the authorities have captured 729 people for various offenses and
seized eight guns, 266 sharp weapons of various models, 233,887
bottles of alcoholic drinks and 3.7 million pills and tablets
representing the wide ranging illegal drug family.

Of the total suspects, 460 are believed to have committed
crimes or have had weapons in their possession and the remaining
269 are believed to have been drunk.

"Most of the suspects were in their 20s and were found drunk,"
Hindarto said, adding that the police will release the suspects
who are in police detentions in the Jakarta greater area once
they promise not to disturb society.

Hindarto insisted that the ongoing Operation Cleansing, which
was initially sponsored by the Jakarta Military Command, has
ignored no judicial procedures.

"According to law, we are on the right track. All of the
suspects captured in the operation along with the material
evidence are being handled by the police ," he said, adding that
some of their dossiers would soon be handed over to the
prosecutors' office.

Asked whether the shootings of at least five suspects in
police custody was also part of the authorities' harsh operation,
Hindarto said:

"There's no (shoot-on-sight) order but all police members know
how and when to use their guns."

He urged reporters not to blow up news about the five
shootings and hoped that his department's methods will send the
correct message to other suspected criminals. (bsr)