Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chief security minister has asked the National Defense Forces (TNI) to participate in the fight against terrorism.

Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said here on Monday "fighting terrorism done under the name of religion is not the exclusive task of the police but all of law enforcers and the people."

Speaking at a coordination meeting on counter-terrorism Djoko said TNI members seemed to be apprehensive when dealing with social conflicts that occurred in its territories.

"The apprehension has emerged following the separation of the TNI and police duties," he said.

Djoko called for the eradication of the feeling. "Soldiers must also participate in efforts and fight against actions that caused public unrest. TNI could conduct preventive actions and leave the legal actions such as arresting to the police," he said.

He said TNI has a number of branches in regions such as subdistrict-level military agency Koramil and district-level agency Kodim.

"TNI members in those units must improve their intelligence to detect incidents that have the potential to create social conflicts to prevent and curb potential terrorism earlier," he said.

Djoko said small incidents like discovery of molotov cocktails must not be ignored. "If it is it may become bigger and create public unrest. So security apparatus must back up each other," he said.

He said terrorism could disrupt national security stability, which is a main priority, and certainly affect economic development which is currently being done by the government.

In view of that he appealed to all law enforcers and TNI members in all lines to improve their early detection (towards possible terrorism).
(T.R018/H-YH/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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