TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi said that the formation of a joint anti-terror command ops (Kopassusgab) from the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is meant to create a sense of security among the public.
Jokowi stated that the Kopassusgab will only be mobilized if cases of terrorism cannot be handled by the police alone.
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“They will only be deployed if the situation is beyond Police’s capacity,” said President Jokowi during an occasion at the State Palace today.
Jokowi asserted that this is a clear sign that the government will continue to prioritize preventive measures against terrorism instead of repressive actions.
As previously reported, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said that the Kopassusgab has been reactivated under the order of Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, as approved by President Jokowi.
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“These special ops can be mobilized to any place across Indonesia as quickly as possible,” said Moeldoko at the Presidential Palace Complex on Wednesday, May 16.
Furthermore, Jokowi also mentioned the fact that today’s terror acts have implicated children, such as the bombings of three Churches in Surabaya and Sidoarjo, as well as the bomb attack against the Surabaya Police Headquarters. He stated the importance of cleaning academic institutions from misconstrued ideologies that could lead to terrorism.
AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI
