No civilian militias allowed at MPR building

No civilian militias allowed at MPR building

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Nurfaizi called
on all civilian militias on Monday to stay away from the Senayan
legislative building complex during the upcoming Annual Session
of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) next week.

He said the civilian militias' presence at the building
complex would only trigger clashes among different militia
groups.

"It's the police's task to maintain security and order during
the MPR Annual Session.

"It will be better if the civilian militias remain at their
respective residences, maintaining order in their areas," he told
The Jakarta Post and Kompas daily at his office.

Civilian militias currently present in the capital are, among
others, Banser of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization's
youth wing of Ansor and the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle's Task Force, Satgas.

NU youth activists vowed recently that they would mobilize
Banser members should President Abdurrahman Wahid, a former NU
chairman, be toppled from his presidency in the session.

Nurfaize, a two-star general, said the police were capable of
maintaining order and security in the capital during the annual
political event without the help of any militias.

"Our forces are ready to be deployed. We have even coordinated
with the City Military Command for immediate deployment of
military personnel should the situation turn bad," he said.

Nurfaizi said the City Police had made necessary preparations
on where and in what situation the military personnel could be
deployed.

"However, the details of the plan will remain our secret," he
said, adding that the plan also utilized the People's Security
(Kamra) and back-up force from the National Police Headquarters.

Earlier on Thursday, Nurfaizi said a total of 66,304 security
personnel from the Jakarta Police and several provincial police
forces would be deployed during the event.

"City Police will deploy 19,107 combined personnel from the
police and the Military, some 14,926 are police officers with the
remaining 4,181 being from the Military," he said while
addressing a plenary meeting of the Supreme Advisory Council
(DPA) discussing security preparations for the annual event.

"The remaining 47,197 security personnel will be requested
from provincial police headquarters in Lampung, and West and
Central Java."

He added that the number of personnel securing the Annual
Session could be increased should the situation worsen.

Nurfaizi said the civilian militias could still air their
aspirations although they would not be allowed to participate in
safeguarding the Annual Session.

"The militias, including other interest groups, can address
their interests to the legislators. They should not be in a big
group ... they can send some five to six representatives to the
legislative building," he said.

He said that sending representatives to the building complex
would be better than staging protests as that might trigger
unrest.

"Our people are bored with such protests. They now dream of
calm political situations that foster better economic
conditions," he said.

Nurfaizi said that no civilian militias or interest groups had
officially filed proposals to stage protests.

"However, we will establish crisis centers in the City Police
Headquarters and other police precincts so that all political and
social groups and local respected figures are represented in the
centers," he said, adding that the crisis centers would be opened
on Aug. 5.

In the centers, he said, police personnel and the
representatives of the groups would coordinate to keep order and
security in the capital during the session.

The MPR Annual Session is scheduled to be held from Aug. 7
until Aug. 16. (asa)