REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- There are six social conflict areas in Indonesia where the National Police (Polri) needs to be proactive in strengthening and maintaining public security and order, according to the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW).
IPW Chairman Neta S. Pane stated here on Sunday that Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi and West Papua are deemed the most volatile regions for social conflicts in the political year ahead of the 2014 elections.
He noted that based on the data on social conflicts in 2013, these six regions were the most prone to social conflicts and therefore IPW has called on the Polri to anticipate disturbances.
"At least 24 social conflicts in Papua in 2013 claimed 59 lives including three police officers and nine Military (TNI) personnel and injured 92 others," Neta stated.
According to him, most of the social conflicts in Papua were among residents and groups, and the most serious incident was the riot that broke out after the final match of amateur boxing tournament Nabire Regent Club in July 2013, in which 18 people were killed.
West Java ranked as the second most prone to social conflicts. Student brawls and biker gang brawls in the province resulted in the highest number of deaths among all the regions.
"As many as 10 deaths were caused by student brawls while nine other deaths were due to biker gang attacks," Neta pointed out.
Further, he pointed out that 18 social conflicts involving mass organizations and other community groups in Jakarta also claimed 12 lives in 2013.
"If such conditions continue to prevail, it is feared that it will significantly contribute to security disturbance during the 2014 political year," he added.
Therefore he called on the Police to anticipate social conflicts that could disrupt the presidential and legislative elections this year.
The IPW chairman explained that ten social conflicts in 2013 too place in North Sumatra with 21 fatalities, South Sulawesi with eight fatalities and Central Java with seven fatalities.
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