Papua Police to guard election

PAPUA, Jayapura: The Papua Police are preparing two-third of its personnel to guard the upcoming elections, a senior officer at the police headquarters said on Wednesday.

"The 6,000 officers, or two-thirds of our total personnel, will be backed by some 2,000 personnel from the Trikora Military command overseeing Papua province," said Brig. Gen. Tommy Jacobus, the deputy chief of the Papua provincial police.

The provincial police are deploying such a large number of officers because security in Papua remains tens and violence could occur during the election period between April to September, he said.

The one-star general said threats to security in the province could come from, among others, the Free Papua Movement, which has been waging a low-level revolt in the province since 1963.

To help the Papua Police guard the elections, the National Police Headquarters handed over a Cassa airplane to the provincial police.

"It will be useful to mobilize personnel to remote areas that cannot be reached by land," Tommy said. -- JP