Sutiyoso recruits military officers to beef up civilian security guards

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid anger and frustration on the part of those ejected from their homes, the Jakarta administration has signaled its determination to press ahead with its eviction policy, and has even deployed additional security forces so as to provide the necessary muscle.

On Thursday, the administration accepted the transfer from the Jakarta Military Command of a total of 287 military and police officers nearing retirement as part of an effort to beef up the city's civilian security guards.

"We're in dire need of additional civilian security guards. That's why we have recruited these men," Governor Sutiyoso told reporters.

Sutiyoso attributed the dire need to soaring levels of "disorder" in the capital.

Asked whether this showed that the administration was growing more repressive, Sutiyoso, a former Jakarta military commander, said, "If repression is needed, why not?"

At present, the administration has a total of 1,927 civilian security personnel comprising public order officers and civilian security guards.

It plans to build the force up to about 3,000 personnel to be financed by the hefty Rp 63 billion in funds allocated for public security and order under the draft 2002 city budget.

Rather than improving the discipline of the city's notoriously corrupt public order officials, the recruitment of military and police personnel into the civilian force might instead change its character to a more militaristic one.

But Firman Hutajulu, head of the city public order office, rejected the accusations saying that the military and police personnel were being incorporated into the civilian force to boost efficiency.

"We will be able to cut training costs as they have already proved themselves to be highly disciplined and efficient," he said.

The induction of the latest recruits may spell bad news for the squatters, pedicab drivers and street vendors who have become the main targets of public order operations throughout the city.

On Wednesday, Sutiyoso refused to sign a moratorium on the forcible eviction of poor people living in slums along the city's riverbanks, rejecting all criticism from the National Commission on Human Rights, which sees the governor's policy as violating fundamental rights.

Meanwhile on Thursday during a meeting with dozens of evicted persons, members of the House of Representatives Commission II for home and legal affairs promised to summon Sutiyoso for clarification over the evictions.

The victims, accompanied by J. Sudrijanta from the Jakarta Social Institute, called for the annulment of city Bylaw No.11/1988 on public order, which provides the legal basis for the evictions. They also urged the establishment of a special team to protect poor urban dwellers from human rights violations.

Legislator Panda Nababan said that the House would arrange a meeting between the evicted persons and the governor.

Another legislator, Rodjil Gufron, called on the governor to be wise when conducting evictions.