Senior government officials and the Jakarta police force as well as the national police all have vowed to be ready to protect foreigners and their assets in the capital of this country.

In an effort to anticipate a possible backlash following a US-led attack on Iraq, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr Prasetyo confirmed that the police were mobilized and put on alert for further antiwar protests across the city.

"We have beefed up our strength to protect assets linked to the United States and its allies, including Britain, Portugal and Spain, due to heightened security concerns in the capital," the police spokesman was quoted by the daily Jakarta Post here Thursday as saying.

He said the police would intensify its patrols to monitor the capital city's security situation.

Prasetyo declined to tell how many police officers would be deployed to beef up security in Jakarta. It was learned that Indonesia, which has a police force of 250,000 strong men, has put two thirds of its police force on alert since this week. Besides, National Police Chief Bachtiar revealed that the Indonesian Military (TNI) has also been on standby to back up the police.

Meanwhile, an advisor to Indonesian National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, Insp. Gen. Sudirman Ail told a group of religious leaders that the police had held a meeting with security officers from all embassies in this country to anticipate public protests against the war in Iraq.

Sudirman said police would be deployed primarily in public places such as shopping centers and office buildings. "Apart from the US and its allies, we will also provide protection for all other foreign interests here," he claimed.

"We suggest that foreigners should stay at home in the event of a wave of antiwar protests," he said.

Surdirman also revealed that the police had produced a contingency plan should the security situation worsen. However, he did not elaborate further.

Though there has been no apparent threat to foreigners or their assets here so far, some radical protesters have already started targeting the US interests in the country.

Dozens of young men grouped in the Islamic Youth Movement rallied in front of a McDonald's outlet on JL. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, stopped customers entering the US fast-food restaurant in protest against the US war plan in Iraq.

One day earlier, similar antiwar protest took place in Palu, capital of Central Sulawesi Province, when hundreds of local students barricaded a KFC outlet, the US style fried chicken fast-food restaurant, scared away many local customers.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla met with a group of noted religious leaders on Wednesday to discuss the situation. The government and the religious leaders urged the people at large to voice their opposition to the war through peaceful means and to avoid violence.

Jusuf also appealed to the public not to target foreigners as this would only harm Indonesia's interests.

"Don't do anything that will weaken the national economy. We already have enough difficulties," the minister warned.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2003)