Police brief envoys on city security measures

Police brief envoys on city security measures

JAKARTA (JP): Envoys from 14 foreign embassies here met with Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman on Monday to receive a briefing on the latest security situation in the capital and preventive security procedures on unrest.

"It's a coordinating meeting between police and the envoys as they deserve to have knowledge on what's really going on in this city," Noegroho told reporters after the two-and-a-half-hour closed meeting at police headquarters on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

According to Noegroho, his office invited all of the 132 embassies in the capital.

He said he did not know why many countries, including the United States and most leading European nations, did not send representatives.

"We invited all of them. But only these countries met our invitation," the two-star general said.

The guest registration book showed the representatives were from Hungary, Spain, Ukraine, Malaysia, Chile, the Netherlands, North Korea, Japan, Yemen, Jordan, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt and the People's Republic of China.

The envoys also were informed on how to "obtain security" for their nationals residing here, staff of the embassies and their families.

"The material of the explanation is very technical," Noegroho said in trying to fend off inquiries from the press about the content.

Most of the diplomats at the meeting also refused to comment.

Some of them said they did not have time to talk to the media.

The North Korean envoy only said: "It's good, good."

A Russian representative gave the thumbs-up before getting into his car.

Only Javier Amor, a security staff member from the Spanish embassy, was willing to talk to reporters.

He described the meeting as "very useful" and said it allowed participants some relief because the police gave their word to help maintain their safety.

With less than 100 Spanish nationals living in the country, Amor said problems for his mission would be smaller compared to those with larger numbers of citizens, he said.

"The police talked about possibility of unrest and how to evacuate our people from the embassy to the nearest airport for safety," he said.

Noegroho said the meeting also discussed the situation during the first few days of the campaign period of the 48 political parties.

"We also told the representatives about the latest situation in the city during the people's festival," the two-star general said, referring to the May 19 to June 4 campaign period.

Asked whether the city police also gave a guarantee to the envoys to quickly safeguard the embassies if untoward circumstances occurred, Noegroho replied: "Nobody can give any guarantee on something which has not yet happened. I'm not God who knows everything beforehand."

He said the public, including people from the embassies and expatriate residents, should always be alert and prepare themselves for any possible chaotic situation. (emf)