Police vow to protect MPR session

Police vow to protect MPR session

Damar Harsanto and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bogor

The police have deployed personnel to safeguard the upcoming
Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which
is likely to be the catalyst for a large number of
demonstrations.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told The
Jakarta Post that thus far there were 12 mass organizations that
had given notice of their intention to stage rallies during the
session, including the hard-line Islam Defenders Front, the
Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and the Justice Party.

"However, our intelligence unit has reported that more than 25
mass organizations have planned to take to the streets," said
Anton.

He said the demonstrators would only be allowed to stage
rallies outside the MPR compound.

"Our personnel are ready to ensure the security of MPR
members, who will be arriving (from outside the city) on
Wednesday," he said.

Jakarta Police have deployed 5,800 personnel, and have 25,000
more military and police in reserve, he said.

Meanwhile, Bogor Police will deploy two-thirds of their 3,200
officers to provide security for the upcoming Annual Session.

Bogor Police chief Sr. Comr. Nanan Soekarna said his officers,
including members of the bomb squad, riot police and the Mobile
Brigade, also would stand guard at six separate locations to
monitor the flow of vehicles arriving coming from West Java and
heading to Jakarta.

He said suspicious vehicles would be stopped and checked at
the tollgates by officers.

The six locations are Jl. Parung, Jl. Raya Cibinong-Jakarta,
the Jagorawi tollgate at Gadog, Jl. Raya Jasinga-Banten, Jl. Raya
Sukabumi-Bayah and Jl. Bypass Cianjur-Puncak-Bogor. The police
will also monitor vehicles on Jl. Raya Citeureup-Bekasi.

"We shall deal firmly with any troublemakers," Nanan said.

The Annual Session will run from Aug. 1 through Aug. 10. More
than 38,000 police are being deployed to safeguard the session.
The operation will last 25 days, at a total cost of about Rp 4
billion, to be spent primarily on allowances for the daily needs
of the personnel involved.