TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police mobilized their Mobile Brigade unit (Brimob) from a number of regions in order to secure Jakarta’s Gubernatorial election. Police Public Relations Head Ins. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar stated that the mobilization is a part of the Mantap Praja Operation which is intended to assist police personnel in Jakarta.
“It’s a normal thing to do when [we] lack of security personnel,” Boy said on Monday, February 6, 2017.
A letter with the title “Rekon Aman Nusa I 2017” directed to every regional police head that circulated on social media says that there are at least 3,070 Mobile Brigade personnel flown in from 16 regions across Indonesia, such as Balikpapan, Tarakan, Medan, Batam, Pekanbaru, Lombok, Banjarmasin, Kendari, Jambi, Pontianak, Palangkaraya, Pangkal Pinang, Denpasar, Manado, Bengkulu, and Palembang.
An added 2,000 personnel from Lampung, Banten, West Java, East Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta will mobilize to Jakarta through ground transport. All personnel is scheduled to arrive on February 8-9, 2017.
The mobilization is rumored to be related to the protest that will be held on February 11, 2017. The upcoming protest is a continuation of the two earlier protests that were held on November 4, 2016, and December 2, 2016.
Protestors demand the non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama to be imprisoned.
Police Public Information Head, Com. Martinus Sitompul, asserted that the Brimob mobilization is to secure the upcoming Jakarta Gubernatorial Election on February 15, 2017. He also explained that it is a normal procedure to mobilize the squad seven days before the election takes place.
DEWI SUCI RAHAYU
