Protests not banned during int'l summit

Protests not banned during int'l summit

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung

The government said on Monday that activists would be allowed to
stage peaceful protests or rival conferences to mark the golden
jubilee of the Asian-African Summit later this month, while
police said they would tighten security to thwart terror attacks
during the international event.

Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs Juwono Sudarsono asked any
would-be protesters to be orderly, if they plan to hold protests
or rival conferences.

"Demonstrations are no problem, but keep it orderly," he said
after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar to
discuss security arrangements for the summit.

A variety of meetings are scheduled for Jakarta on April 22
and April 23, then continued in Bandung a day later to mark the
50th commemoration of the Asian-African Summit in 1955. Delegates
from more than 100 counties, including 56 heads of state, are
expected to attend.

"We must treat our guests in a good and proper manner,"
Juwono, who is the defense minister, exhorted. Juwono represented
foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda who is in the Philippines for an
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting.

Juwono said President Susilo asked for "proper security
arrangements" to prevent demonstrations during the event from
turning violent.

"Protests must not be too excessive," Juwono reiterated.

A number of non-governmental organizations have made plans to
hold a series of separate conferences during the summit as the
government has refused to let them participate.

The rival meetings will be held in Jakarta, Bandung, Garut and
Yogyakarta, involving at least 15 foreign and local NGOs.

Separately, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said all
provincial police departments will be involved in the security
arrangements for the summit to prevent possible terror attacks
during the forum.

"We will alert all provincial police, because we have to
anticipate possible terror attacks as they (terrorists) may take
this opportunity to launch attacks," he surmised.

The police, Da'i claimed, were still trying to find key terror
suspects, most notably Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin Husin and
Noordin Mohd. Top, who police have determined were the
masterminds behind a series of bombings across the country.

"We have prepared and launched police operations for the
security arrangements of the summit. The focal points are the
Jakarta Police and the West Java Police backed by the National
Police," Da'i explained.

However, he added there were no specific indications of
possible terror attacks before or during the summit.

The police will focus on protecting foreign dignitaries,
particularly heads of state attending the event, in addition to
securing the summit venue and hotels where delegates will stay in
Jakarta and Bandung.

In Bandung, the summit national committee head Lt. Gen. (ret)
Agus Widjojo said the police and military would jointly deploy
sharpshooters to strategic locations during the event.

The sharpshooters are needed to minimize security threats
during the summit, he added. "It's a big event with a large
number of important people. We want all of this to run smoothly."

Col. M. Toto Moersad, security coordinator for the summit,
said there were at least 42 "vulnerable spots" which delegates
will have to travel past over the seven-kilometer drive from the
Bandung airport to the Gedung Merdeka building, the venue of the
commemoration.

"These spots are prone to security problems, traffic jams and
flooding," he explained.