Sutiyoso recruits military officers to beef up civilian security guards
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.