People can help maintain order, security: Wiranto

People can help maintain order, security: Wiranto

JAKARTA (JP): City Military chief Maj. Gen. Wiranto expressed
satisfaction yesterday over the orderly conduct of the myriad of
public activities held recently to mark the 50th anniversary of
Indonesia's independence, saying it showed that the people can
themselves play a role in maintaining order.

"The recent massive programs in commemorating the golden
anniversary of our independence have attested to the fact that
the people can help maintain order and security," Wiranto told
reporters after installing a new chief of the Tangerang military
district.

Wiranto cited the National Grand Fiesta at the National
Monument Square, Central Jakarta, on Aug. 19 as a case in point.
Despite being attended by approximately 1.2 million people, no
major incidents occurred during the gathering, he said. The
general made no mention of the two people killed during the Grand
Fiesta celebration. One of the fatalities was electrocuted after
climbing onto the roof of an electric train at Gambir station,
while the other was trampled to death by the crowd near the main
stage.

"Without the people's ability to keep themselves in order, the
5,500 security officers deployed during the grand party would
have been inadequate to keep public order and security," he said.

He expressed gratitude to all people who helped the officers
in charge of maintaining order and who were active in ensuring
the success of all the activities held to commemorate the 50th
independence anniversary.

This month people throughout the country celebrated the golden
anniversary of Indonesia's independence by holding various
activities, including sports contests, music festivals,
exhibitions, and the national Youth March.

All of the activities in the capital ran smoothly and
successfully, without any major hitches, Wiranto said.

He called on the people to continue increasing their awareness
of the need to help maintain public order and security.

The two-star general installed Lt. Col. Bambang Susilarso as
the new chief of the Tangerang military district, replacing Lt.
Col. Darizal Basir.

Susilarso, a 1974 graduate of the National Military Academy,
is a former operational officer of the City Military Command,
while Basir, a 1973 graduate of the same academy, will be
installed as the new head of Tanah Datar military district in
West Sumatra.

After graduating from the National Military Academy,
Susilarso, 45, served for eleven years as an officer in the
Cavalry Battalion VI of the Bukit Barisan Military Command in
Medan.

A father of two sons, Susilarso was an instructor at the
National Military Academy from 1986 to 1989 before taking up his
post as commander of the Malang-based Cavalry Battalion.

After completing his Army command course in Bandung in 1990,
he became chief of the Cavalry Technology Institute. He was then
named chief of the Jakarta-based Cavalry Battalion IX and then
became an operational officer of the City Military Command,
before being installed as the chief of the Tangerang military
district.

Wiranto reminded the new installed chief of the "new, daunting
challenges," he would face in the post, telling him that
Tangerang, as a growing town, has a high crime rate that warrants
constant vigilance on the part of the security officers in
charge.

"To face social problems and security disturbances that might
arise all officers responsible should cooperate with the public,"
he said. (29)