Indonesia deploys soldiers, police to enforce ‘new normal’ Covid-19 restrictions

Indonesia ordered the deployment of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and police on Tuesday to enforce rules on wearing masks and safe distancing. The move comes after reports of people in the world’s fourth-most-populous nation flouting the rules.

From Tuesday, about 340,000 officers will be deployed across four provinces to ensure the country’s transition to the “new normal,” Reuters quoted Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahjanto as saying.  

“We will monitor people to ensure people are wearing masks, and are also maintaining a safe distance from others,” said Hadi. “What we want is that people can do their activities, and at the same time stay safe from Covid-19.”

Officers will be deployed on streets, malls and other locations in the provinces of Jakarta, West Java, Gorontalo and West Sumatra.