NZ police set up liaison office

JAKARTA: New Zealand police opened on Monday a liaison office in Jakarta in a bid to boost cooperation in eradicating international terrorism and transnational crimes.

The ceremony was attended by New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia Chris Elder, deputy chief of New Zealand Police Comr. Steve Long and National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Kadaryanto.

Spt. Hamish McCardle has been appointed as the country's liaison officer in Indonesia.

The office is located on the 23th floor of BRI II building on Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Central Jakarta. The New Zealand embassy is also located in the same building.

The two countries, however, failed Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation as National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar was still in Aceh to monitor the situation there after the government declared a state of emergency in the troubled province, where the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been fighting for independence since 1976. -- JP