Military, Police Hold Joint Security Exercise

Nusa Dua (Antara Bali) - Around 15,000 military and police personnel here on Saturday were involved in a joint security maintenance exercise for the 19th ASEAN  and Sixth East Asian summits.

The two-day exercise was officially opened by Commander of the Provincial Military Command (Kodam) IX/Udayana Major General Leonard.

"This concerns the image of the Indonesian nation and country. So, do it seriously and professionally  in accordance with the prevailing procedures," Leonard said in his remarks.

The summits are expected to be participated in by 16 heads of government/state from ASEAN member countries and dialog partner nations.

The 15,000 personnel consist of 7,562 personnel of the TNI (Indonesian National Defense Forces) Security Operational Command, 750 of VVIP Security Task Force, and 2,563 of the Territorial Security Task Force.

There are also 600 personnel of the Naval Security Task Force, 300 personnel of the Air Security Task Force, around 200 personnel of the Intelligent Unit, and 1,799 Police officers.

The TNI General Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Suryo Prabowo and Deputy Police Chief Com. General Nanan Sukarna are expected to inspect the implementation of the joint exercise.

Security arrangement has become important because the planned participation of the 16 heads of state/government, including US President Barack Obama, in the summits in Bali.

Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika also has ensured Bali is secure and ready to welcome participants of the summits and is secure.

Around 600 Naval officers would also be deployed to secure Bali, Commander of the Main Naval Base V Denpasar Colonel I Wayan Suarjana said in Denpasar in early October 2011.

Four F16 jet fighters will escort planes carrying the heads of state/government to attend the Bali summits. Five warships have been deployed in Bali Waters to guard the island during the summits.

The warships are KRI Banda Aceh, KRI Sura, KRI Kerapu, KRI Slamet Riyadi, and KRI Karel Satsuitubun, according to Lt Col Yayan Sugiana, a spokesman of the Eastern Indonesian Naval Fleet Command (Koarmatim).(*)