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500 Kopassus personnel deployed to provide security during election announcement
The Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) is set to deploy 500 personnel to maintain security in Jakarta during the presidential election result announcement on Tuesday
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he Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) is set to deploy 500 personnel to maintain security in Jakarta during the presidential election result announcement on Tuesday.
"We have one SS [unit] comprising 500 personnel in Jakarta. Kopassus is ready to maintain security whenever needed, not only in Jakarta but in the whole of Indonesia," Kopassus spokesperson Lt. Col. Jo Sembiring told kompas.com on Tuesday.
Jo explained that the security measures depended on the situation, and the soldiers were prepared to move wherever they were needed.
He added that the Kopassus personnel were being deployed based on the command of Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko.
"Kopassus personnel must remain neutral [...] as the TNI chief has commanded," he said.
On Monday, Moeldoko said that apart from Kopassus, the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Navy Marines and the Air Force's Special Forces (Paskhas) were also ready to help the police.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said 3,421 police officers had been deployed to safeguard the General Elections Commission (KPU) headquarters on Monday and Tuesday, adding that around 32,000 additional personnel from the Jakarta Police, National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) were on standby.
National Police chief Gen. Sutarman said Monday that the police were going to close access to Jakarta, in three spots from Banten and seven from Bandung, so that masses would not be abled to surge into the capital city. (fss)
