Merauke Military Commander Warns Men To Keep Ready

Merauke Military Commander Warns His Men To Keep In State Of Readiness

Cenderawasih Pos, 3 November 2008 Slightly abridged

Merauke: The military commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih military command, Major-General A.Y. Nasution, has instructed all officers and men of the Special Yonis Force, 132/Galuh Taruna which are due to replace Yonif 303 Force on duty along the border with Papua New Guinea in the district of Boven Digoel to remain ever vigilant and in a state of readiness to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the NKRI.

He said that this was necessary because there are still a small number of people who want to secede from the Indonesian Republic so, he said, the men must remain ready at all times to defend the state against elements that threaten the integrity of the Indonesian nation.

He told the troops that they should not have any fear with regard to the matter of law and human rights. 'As long as you are implementing the law in conformity with the regulations in force, there is no need to fear,' he said.

He also ordered his men to preserve good relations with other units on duty in the region and with the local government and community. The border between Indonesia and PNG is 760 km long; it runs from Skouw in the north to Muara in the south, whereas along the border there are only 52 border posts while the border runs through heavily forested areas and areas where there is a high level of disorder'

Nick Chesterfield

**manukoreri.net**Independent Human Security Analyst (and more) www.manukoreri.net*

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