Medan tightens security on fears of GAM terror strike
Medan tightens security on fears of GAM terror strike
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
Having experienced a series of blasts allegedly linked to
Acehnese rebels, the North Sumatra capital Medan is tightening
security to avert new bombings in response to the war in Aceh.
Under the Medan Comprehensive Security Operation, Medan hopes
to prevent and detect bomb threats possibly tied to the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM).
The operation will involve the city administration, the
police, the local military, as well as Medan's traffic office,
said Medan Mayor Abdillah on Tuesday.
He said he hoped the tighter security measures would prevent
the war in the neighboring province of Aceh from spilling over to
Medan.
"People here should not worry anymore about terror threats
from GAM," he assured. "They (people) can proceed with their
normal activities however they should increase coordination with
security officials."
Police and soldiers deployed along the border of East Aceh are
already inspecting vehicles entering North Sumatra, in an attempt
to prevent smuggling of weapons or explosive materials.
A bomb exploded in the parking lot of the Medan mayor's office
on March 31. Another went off at a gas pipeline facility owned by
the state oil and gas company Pertamina near Deli seaport on
April 1.
Police here believe the attacks were the work of a GAM terror
cell operating in Medan. They said that several suspects they
arrested were members of GAM.
Among them is the alleged GAM commander Abdul Wahab who police
claimed made a confession that 40 of his men were still in the
city and ready to strike again at anytime.
Abdul is allegedly in charge of GAM's operations in the North
Sumatra regency of Deli and in Medan.
But GAM leaders in Aceh have denied the allegations, including
suspicion of its involvement in the bomb blast at Jakarta's
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport that injured 11 people last
month.
The Aceh-based GAM leaders said the charges were leveled
merely to discredit the movement, and emphasized that the group
had no operations outside the province.
Nevertheless, fear of more attacks has risen since Jakarta
launched a a new war in Aceh on Sunday. A surge of refugees from
Aceh into North Sumatra has raised concerns of an infiltration of
GAM members.
Medan Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bagus Kurniawan said that
police would closely monitor the movements of refugees.
The city administration has prepared five refugee camps for
civilians who flee Aceh for the relative safety of Medan and
security at these camps would be handled by the police, said
mayor Abdillah.