It requires the participation of all residents.
Timika (ANTARA) - A total of 1,500 military and police personnel will be deployed to secure the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON) in Mimika District, a senior official has said.

Police chief of Mimika District, Adjunct Senior Commissioner IGG Era Adhinata, said that the successful holding of the event will require full support from all people in the region.

"Any numbers of the security personnel deployed will not be adequate without the community’s assistance and support. We need the participation of the entire community in Mimika to maintain the security and comfort amid the XX Papua PON," he remarked at a gathering of the XX Papua PON security force in the Timika Indah Square on Saturday.

Furthermore, at least 997 personnel of the Indonesian National Police will be deployed to secure the event, he added.

Apart from the Mimika Regional Police, the Nusantara Mobile Brigade Corps, which has currently started to be stationed in the district, will also help secure the event, Adhinata said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Defence Forces will post 485 personnel to the XX PON cluster, he informed.

In addition, the security forces will be assisted by the Public Order Officer of the Mimika district government, search and rescue personnel from Timika city – the capital of the district -- as well as several community organizations and associations, he added.

Furthermore, the district police chief informed that the gathering of the security forces would be followed by operation training.

Troops will be posted in 10 locations all over the region, he said. In addition, they will be stationed at every sports venue and participants’ inn, he disclosed.

Regarding the potential for security disruption amid the implementation of the national event, Adhinata emphasized that his personnel will detect, anticipate, as well as immediately respond to any security issues.

"No matter how small the disruption, we must anticipate it. The team has to respond to the disturbance soon, thus it will not escalate and spread any bias everywhere," he added.

Meanwhile, the commander of the 1710 District Military Command in Mimika District, Lieutenant Colonel Yoga Cahya Prasetya, invited the residents of Mimika to do their best for the participating athletes and officials who come to the region.

Furthermore, he encouraged residents to show that they are able to hold the national event safely and comfortably.

“It requires the participation of all residents," he remarked.

Mimika will host nine sports competitions for 12 events of the XX Papua PON, which will be held from October 2-15, 2021.

However, a number of contingents from outside Papua province have already begun to arrive in the district. It is estimated that four thousand athletes and officials from outside the province will attend the national sporting event.

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Translator: Evarianus Supar, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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