Dicky Christanto, Denpasar – Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo expects the new head of the Udayana Military Command to improve border security and prevent sectarian violence in the region.
The military command oversees Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.
Agustadi also emphasized the need to seek proper responses in addressing the problems that lie ahead. "We have to be effective and yet avoid the use of violence in tackling problems," he said.
The Udayana Military Command earlier organized a series of discussions to find acceptable solutions for the problem of Timor Leste refugees, who in the past have crossed the border into Indonesia to escape violence in the young republic. In coordination with the local administration and police, the military command has also provided locations to be used as refugee camps.
"Even though we have taken steps to prevent such social calamities from happening, of course we must keep improving our security system so that we can detect and then give a proper response for anything that could threaten our nation's sovereignty," Agustadi told newly installed commander Maj. Gen. Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan at a ceremony Thursday.
Commenting on the ongoing Bali governor election, Agustadi said it was the new military commander's duty to work with the police to maintain security during the election.
Also attending the ceremony were newly installed Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Tengku Ashikin, Bali Governor Dewa Beratha, the head of the local legislative council, IBP Wesnawa, Bali's chief prosecutor, Dewa Alit Adyana, and former East Timor militia commander Eurico Gutteres.
Foreign army delegates, retired Indonesian Army officers and noted lawyers such as Tommy Sihotang and Hotma Sitompoel were also seen at the ceremony.
Hotmangaradja, the Army's former territorial assistant and a 1977 graduate of the military academy, replaces Maj. Gen. George Robert Situmeang, who served as the Udayana military commander for around seven months.
Situmeang, a 1974 graduate of the military academy, has been promoted to Army Inspector General at Army headquarters in Jakarta.
Besides dealing with refugees, the Udayana Military Command is also tasked with guarding and preserving the cultural and sociological pluralism of the region. Community conflicts are seen as the primary threat to that pluralism.
"We will tighten our security system in border areas and apply a zero tolerance policy in preventing such horizontal violence from happening by conducting continuous monitoring efforts," Hotmangaradja told reporters on the sidelines of a party held at the Udayana Military Command headquarters on Thursday.
He also vowed to preserve security especially during the Bali election. He said he wanted to be more proactive in safeguarding pluralism in the region and preventing the occurrence of sectarian violence.