INDONESIA BEEFS UP SECURITY MEASURES AHEAD OF OIC SUMMIT by Fardah

  Jakarta, March 1, 2016 (Antara)- The Indonesian authorities have beefed up security measures in Jakarta and surrounding areas for an Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), scheduled to be held in the capital city on March 6-7, 2016.      
    Leaders of the OIC's 57 member countries are expected to participate in the summit and will discuss the latest developments in Palestine in general and Al Quds (Jerusalem) in particular. 
    As the host, Indonesia has also invited Thailand, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Russia to the summit as observer states.

         Invitations were sent to permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

         Commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), General Gatot Nurmantyo, has instructed officers to adopt tighter security measures for the Summit, particularly to protect VVIPs.   

    "This task of the officers is not a routine or a regular one, but is a crucial task as it directly concerns the honor and reputation of Indonesia at the international level. I will personally lead it along with the security apparatuses of the Jakarta Military Command and the Jakarta Police," he affirmed at the National Monument Square (Monas) on March 1, while leading a roll call of the officers in charge of securing the summit.

         The ceremony was attended by 10,150 military and police officers. Chiefs of Staff of the Army General Mulyono, the Navy Admiral Ade Supandi, and the Air Force Marshal Agus Supriatna were also present at the event.

         The security measures will encompass anticipating traffic accidents, anarchic rallies, riots, terror acts, sabotage, conventional and transnational crimes, hostage situations, kidnappings, ambushes, and bombings.

         Nurmantyo ordered the personnel to stay alert for any indications of terror attacks.

         "Any form of vulnerability must not be tolerated. If there is a hint of vulnerability, then the officers must implement security measures in accordance with the existing procedures," he stated.

         He specifically laid emphasis on the need to implement optimal preventive measures. The former Army chief of staff also called on the personnel not to hesitate to take repressive and stern action as their final option.
    Last week, the OIC's Security Operation Command held "a tactical floor game" (TGF) at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

         The drill was personally led by the chief of the Jakarta Military Command, Major General Teddy Lhaksmana, in his capacity as the commander of the OIC Summit Security Operation Command, along with all staff members and task forces from the three TNI branches and the police.

         The head of public information of the TNI Information Center, Col. Berlin G, as chief of the information task force, said the TFG was carried out to simulate the implementation of the security system for the meeting so that all parties involved could understand it.

         "The TFG was also aimed at checking personnel and material preparation by the commander of the regional security task force and its staff," Berlin said.    
    The Jakarta Military Command plans to deploy 3,600 personnel from the forces to help secure the event.

         The Marine Corps will deploy 1,277 of its personnel to help ensure security at the event, led by Lt. Col Ena Sulaksana who is currently chief of operations of Marine Infantry Brigade-2.

         "The Marine Corps will station its personnel four days before the event, and they will remain in position till one day after the event," Commander of Marine Force-2, Brigadier General Hasanuddin, said.

         He said Marine soldiers would join other forces to provide security to officials participating in the conference.

         Areas to be secured include Hotel Crown Plaza, Hotel Raffles, Hotel Dharmawangsa, Hotel JW Marriot, Hotel Ritz Carlton and Mega Kuningan.

         The Marine forces will also be deployed to secure the routes from Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports to the Jakarta Convention Center.

         In addition to the OIC summit security, the military is intensifying  security measures in response to a travel advisory issued by the Australian government.

         Nurmantyo remarked that terror suspects were being arrested almost every third day due to cooperation with the police in tracking down the perpetrators and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) detecting terror activities.
    "Every three days, we have been witnessing the arrest of terrorists," he noted, adding that this was possible due to the cooperation between the TNI and the police.

         Earlier, BIN Chairman Sutiyoso had remarked that a travel advisory issued by the Australian government was nothing new.

         He said the BIN had a better understanding of the potential of any terror threat looming over Indonesia than the Australian government, which had issued the travel advisory.

         Sutiyoso remarked that the BIN was aware of the terrorist networks in Indonesia but could not take action against them as the agency did not have the authority to arrest them.

         Australia had recently warned that terrorists might be in the "advanced stages of preparing attacks" in Indonesia and had advised travelers to take precautions, just days after a similar warning was issued for neighboring Malaysia, AFP reported.    ***2***
(f001/INE/B003)