Military to continue `Operation Cleansing'
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hendropriyono said the ongoing Operation Cleansing will continue uninterrupted even if he is no longer in office.
"As long as the situation is still prone to disturbances, Operation Cleansing will be continued by my successor, whoever he is," Hendro was quoted by Media Indonesia as saying over the weekend.
The two-star general was speaking during a discourse on "how to enhance stability in the era of openness" with the employees of the PT Toyota Astra Motor automobile company.
The employees hailed Operasi Bersih as very effective in suppressing the crime rate but expressed their anxiety that the operation would be stopped if he is transferred to another post.
Hendro admitted that such a big operation, which requires a huge amount of funds and a great number of personnel and facilities, would surely have to end someday
He gave his assurance, however, that as long as various threats to law and order prevail the operation would be continued.
He explained that the operation was launched by Bakorstanasda (the city chapter of the Agency for Coordination of Support for National Stability) on April 11 because the crime rate had reached and alarming level, including the increasing frequency of student brawls in the city.
In its initial stage, the operation focussed on seizing illegally sold alcoholic drinks and sharp weapons and firearms carried by civilians in public.
As of May 31, the operation had captured 1,500 people, consisting of drunkards and criminals, and seized 600,000 bottles of drink, 500 sharp weapons, a dozen of firearms and approximately 4 million pills of banned drugs.
Later the operation extended its focus to "daredevil racers", youngsters driving cars and motorcycles recklessly at night, gamblers and apparently demonstrations considered detrimental to national stability.
The operation, which initially had 16,000 personnel, now has 46,000 personnel recruited from the army, navy, air force and police force.
Pagers
"The Jakarta military command also deploys another 2,000 officers equipped with pagers to patrol the city on bike around the clock," said Hendro.
These patrolmen, he said, can be called by anyone who needs help. Their pager numbers, written on stickers, have been spread throughout the city, many stuck public phone booths.
Hendro, however, regretted that the reporting-via-pager scheme is still far from popular.
"I urge the public not to be reluctant to make pager calls anytime they feel they are in danger or see suspicious things. I guarantee the officers will quickly come to their rescue," he said.
Present on Friday's discourse were President Director of the PT Toyota Astra Motor company Rudiyanto Hardjanto, the intelligence assistant to the Jakarta Military Command, Col. Zacky Anwar, the territorial assistant of the Jakarta Military Command, Col. Syahrir MS, and North Jakarta military commander Lt. Col. Makmursyah. (jsk)