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Anti-riot squads deployed to secure Golkar national meeting
The Bali Police have deployed a platoon of anti-riot personnel to secure the ninth Golkar Party national meeting (Munas) in Bali on Sunday as intelligence reports have identified the possibility of widespread anarchy during the meeting
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T
he Bali Police have deployed a platoon of anti-riot personnel to secure the ninth Golkar Party national meeting (Munas) in Bali on Sunday as intelligence reports have identified the possibility of widespread anarchy during the meeting.
'We want to ensure that Bali is safe but considering the latest developments there is a possibility that anarchist actions will erupt. To anticipate the possible anarchy, we have readied security personnel in several locations and ordered them to secure activities in the meeting,' Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Albertus Julius Benny Mokalu said, as quoted by Antara news agency, after a call to readiness ceremony at the Bali Police headquarters in Denpasar on Sunday.
Thirty-four anti-riot squads whose personnel were dressed in all black uniforms and fully armed were present at the ceremony.
Benny Mokalu said apart from intelligence reports, information on the anarchy potential was received through short text messages.
'We have received a number of short text messages and verified the facts in the targeted locations, such as ports. We haven't so far found anything because anarchist groups usually move in silent. It is probable that there will be certain groups that will come and disrupt the meeting but we don't know yet who they are,' he said.
The police chief further said that the police had also dispatched intelligence personnel who would work both in open and closed systems.
He declined to give further details on the exact number of police personnel deployed but he did say the number accounted for about two-thirds of the total 12,000 Bali Police personnel.
Munas Golkar is scheduled to open at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC) in Nusa Dua, Badung regency, at 8 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The meeting will be attended by senior party officials, including those who are from the party's regional executive boards (DPD) from regency, municipality and province levels across Indonesia. One of primary agendas of the meeting is to select a Golkar chairman. (ebf)(+++)
