Police set for tasks at vital places

Police set for tasks at vital places

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A top security minister expressed on Thursday his support for the
police to take over security job in areas of great economic
value, or vital installations, from the Indonesian Military
(TNI), except for those in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the presence of
TNI troops at the U.S.-owned PT ExxonMobil gas company and state-
owned oil and gas company PT Arun NGL. Co. in Aceh would be
maintained as martial law remains effective in the natural
resource-rich province.

Martial law has been in effect since May 19 and the government
recently extended it until the middle of next year.

"Principally, the TNI is tasked with guarding vital
installations for various considerations, including rampant
disturbances. In Aceh, troops are still needed to guard PT
ExxonMobile and PT Arun, but in other places, we think the
managers of each company have to be held responsible for security
of their own plants," Susilo told reporters after a meeting on
security and political affairs.

He said the National Police was ready to take over the job
from the TNI and reinforcement troops would be sent in only if
the police fail to maintain security.

TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto had said the military would
withdraw its troops currently guarding several vital
installations, including PT Freeport gold and copper mine in
Papua, asserting that the job of security was not part of TNI's
main tasks according to Law No. 3/2002 on state defense.

Freeport has said it paid TNI about US$5.6 million last year
to protect its employees in Papua.

The TNI submitted the proposal to the government on Nov. 4 and
expects to hear the government's approval immediately.

Currently, there are some 2,100 TNI troops guarding vital
objects across the country.

Siliwangi Military Command overseeing West Java is guarding
the steam-powered electricity plant (PLTU) Suralaya and state-
owned aircraft company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI), while troops
from Sriwijaya Military Command oversee, among other places,
while troops in South Sumatra are providing security for oil
refineries at the Plaju and Gerong rivers.

Bukit Barisan Military Command overseeing West Sumatra, North
Sumatra and Riau provinces is securing the water-powered
electricity plant (PLTA) Sigura-gura, U.S.-owned oil and gas PT
Caltex in Dumai and metal producer PT Inalum.

The high-valued resources that the Brawijaya Military Command
of East Java looks after include the PLTU Paiton and chemical
company PT Petro Kimia Gresik.

In Kalimantan, troops from the Tanjungpura Military Command
are guarding the operation of PT Badak gas producer in Bontang,
PT VICO Muara Badak and PT Unocal Sangata chemical companies and
state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina in Balikpapan.

Endriartono denied suggestions that his proposal was linked to
a U.S. decision to withhold assistance for TNI unless they
cooperated fully with a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe
into the ambush that killed two Americans at Freeport in August
last year. The military denies any involvement.

Since the formal separation of the police force from the
military in 2000, internal security affairs should be the
responsibility of the police.