Yogyakarta warned of terrorism

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X ordered intelligence bodies to gather information on the possible entry of international terrorists into the province, Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said here on Friday.

"We have been told to be more vigilant against the possibility of terrorist infiltration into the province. They could pretend to be tourists as Yogyakarta is a very popular tourist destination," he told reporters at the sidelines of a regional intelligence bodies (Bakorinda) coordination meeting held at the provincial administration office at Kepatihan complex.

Bakorinda consists of three intelligence services: military, police and the provincial administration.

Saleh said that keeping Yogyakarta peaceful required hard work and good cooperation between security personnel and other regional government boards as well as various elements of society.

He said that the potential threats to Yogyakarta's security did not only come from local terrorists but also from overseas ones such international terrorist networks.

Saleh, however, said that intelligence bodies had yet to find any evidence of the existence of international terrorists in Yogyakarta.

The intelligence meeting was for the first time held at the provincial administration office, following the implementation of the law on regional autonomy, effective June 1, 2001. Similar intelligence meetings were previously held at the regional police headquarters or military resort command. (44)