Bali Guarded by 15 Warships Ahead of APEC Summit

Denpasar, Bali (Antara) - Waters around the island of Bali are being guarded by 15 warships ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from October 1 to 8. "A total of 15 warships have been deployed," said Defence Forces (TNI) Commander General Moeldoko after leading a roll call of combined security forces for the event on Thursday. He added that apart from deploying warships, TNI has also prepared F-16 fighter jets at the Ngurah Rai Air Force base and 16 Sukhoi and M-17 fighters at Hassanudin Air Force base in Makassar, South Sulawssi. He said security measures are in place to deter possible security threats from the sea. The former army chief of staff, however, said so far, the island is secure. "There have been no disruptions so far and there is nothing to worry about," he said. General Moeldoko said TNI is also cooperating with the police, which plans to deploy 11 thousand personnel to assure security of the summit, scheduled to be attended by 21 heads of state from member countries and four other heads of state from observer countries. He said the security forces from central and Bali headquarters would be supported by TNI and the police from East Java, who can be immediately deployed in case of emergencies. Moeldoko said security personnel and equipment have been prepared in case of security threats against presidents in the conference. "We are on stand-by mode. Standard operating procedures have been prepared in case of threats," he said. TNI and the police would be fully on guard until three days after the summit, he said. (*)