1,250 TNI soldiers withdrawn from Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) pulled out 1,250 Army soldiers from
\nAceh on Monday, the first major troop withdrawal after the
\nsigning of a peace deal by the government and the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) last week.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Supiadin A.S., the Iskandar Muda military commander
\noverseeing Aceh, led a farewell ceremony for the troops. A
\nmember from the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), a group of foreign
\npeace monitors, also attended.<\/p>\n
The troops, two battalions of the elite Army's Strategic
\nReserves Command (Kostrad), have served in Aceh for more than a
\nyear. They left on board a navy ship from Krueng Geukueh port in
\nNorth Aceh. A single battalion consists of between 600 and 650
\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
Supiadin, a two-star general, said the troop withdrawal was
\nevidence of the TNI's commitment to implement the peace deal.<\/p>\n
\"There will be no replacement of the troops. The withdrawal of
\nthe two battalions was supposed to be conducted in line with the
\ndecommissioning of GAM. But as a proof of the TNI's commitment
\nto the peace deal, we pulled them out earlier,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Supiadin said he hoped GAM would do its part by handing in its
\nweapons soon.<\/p>\n
According to the peace agreement, the withdrawal of non-
\nindigenous military and police forces will be carried out from
\nSept. 15 to Dec. 31 in four stages to parallel GAM's surrender of
\nweapons under the supervision of the AMM.<\/p>\n
GAM has agreed to surrender 840 weapons, which it says makes
\nup its total armaments.<\/p>\n
After Dec. 31, there should be 14,700 soldiers and 9,100
\npolice officers left in Aceh, according to the peace accord.<\/p>\n
The TNI had assigned 40 out-of-area or \"non-organic\"
\nbattalions to Aceh following the imposition of a martial law in
\nthe province in 2003. Thirty-seven of these still remain in the
\nprovince after the military on Aug. 6 withdrew one battalion of
\nmarine forces.<\/p>\n
A departing soldier, Second Sgt. Kadmirah, was hopeful that
\nAceh, which had been plagued with bloody conflict during the past
\nthree decades, could finally enjoy a lasting peace.<\/p>\n
\"I am sure GAM is willing to surrender their weapons. I do
\nhope GAM respects the peace deal so the Aceh problems can end
\npeacefully, without more victims,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Fadhilah, the commander of one of the departing
\nbattalions, said during its tour of duty the battalion had seized
\n70 weapons and arrested 124 GAM members. Soldiers had killed 90
\nGAM members, he said.<\/p>\n
Observers hope the signing of the peace pact in Helsinki will
\nend the hostilities.<\/p>\n
Monitors from the European Union and South East Asian
\ncountries are scheduled to begin work on Sept. 15.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/1250-tni-soldiers-withdrawn-from-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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