Police gear up for MPR session

Police gear up for MPR session

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police are warning protesters that any violence or law
breaking during the upcoming People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
Annual Session will result in stern action.

"We will be reasonable with demonstrators if they express
their views in accordance with the prevailing regulations. But,
if they turn violent or break the law, we will clamp down on
them," Jakarta Police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam told The
Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.

Anton said police, for instance, would detain demonstrators
for setting fire to any effigy or picture of the president and
vice president.

"Contempt of the president or vice president is against
Criminal Code No. 134 which carries a maximum six-year prison
sentence," Anton said.

Anton revealed that police were still detaining a demonstrator
for trampling on a picture of the president during Tuesday's
demonstration in front of the State Palace.

He said that 12 organizations had so far notified police of
their intention to stage rallies during the session. They include
the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Laskar Jihad,
Hizbut Tahir, the Justice Party and the Indonesian Prosperity
Trade Union (SBSI).

Anton said he did not know the names of the other
organizations, their agendas or the dates they planned to
protest.

"However, our intelligence unit reports that there are more
than 25 organizations that have planned to take to the street,"
Anton said, adding that police would only allow the demonstrators
to rally outside the MPR compound.

The Assembly session will take place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10.

Jakarta Police has deployed 5,800 police officers to safeguard
the session under normal circumstances. However, it is ready to
deploy 25,000 extra military and police personnel if the
situation deteriorates, and 38,000 extra military and police
officers if the situation turns particularly ugly.

Most of the reserves are from outside Jakarta, namely West
Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali and Lampung provinces.

Anton also said that police were ready in their respective
posts, including those monitoring the security of the 344 MPR
members who arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday and were staying at
Hotel Mulia Senayan in South Jakarta.

They will also tighten security around business and shopping
centers.

The operation will last for 25 days at a total cost of Rp 4
billion.

Anton said the funds had been disbursed to the police.