Post Shooting Incident

Indonesian Army Not to Increase Strength on Timor Borders
Tuesday, 26 April, 2005 | 10:53 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Hotma Ngaraja Panjaitan has said that the Indonesian Army does not yet have any plans to increase the number of its personnel on the borders of Indonesia and East Timor following the shooting incident last week.

Up to now, he said, two army battalions have been stationed in this area.

“We are yet to increase the number of personnel in border areas as there has not been any threat of infiltration,” said Panjaitan in Jakarta on Monday (26/04).

On Thursday (21/04), the chief of Border Security Unit Post from the 8th Armed Battalion, First Lieutenant Deddy Setyawan, was shot.

The East Timorese government confirmed that Setyawan was shot by East Timorese police.

Panjaitan said that the troops in the border area consisted of an organic battalion plus an additional battalion, adding that smuggling often took place in this area.

He added that the Indonesian Army soldiers guarding the borders were only assigned to minimize borders violations.

Panjaitan has requested that the East Timorese government fulfill its joint commitment to guard the borders and prevent smuggling. (Agus Supriyanto-Tempo News Room)