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)