A fatal misunderstanding<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has too easily, if not
\nconveniently, dismissed the latest bloody clashes in the troubled
\nnorthern province of Aceh as a \"misunderstanding\" on the part of
\nvillagers regarding the military's intentions. That must go down
\nas a very costly, if not ridiculous, misunderstanding. According
\nto one account, at least 28 civilian lives were lost, and dozens
\nwere injured in Monday's shooting of civilians at Cot Murong near
\nthe industrial town of Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
That explanation, provided by TNI chief spokesman Maj. Gen.
\nSyamsul Ma'arif, reflects the military's absolute insensitivity
\nto the feelings of people in Aceh. The killing has been treated
\nas simply another operation in the name of security and order.
\nFor TNI to dismiss this incident as a misunderstanding is
\ntantamount to saying \"what's another 28 lives or so?\" Disturbing
\nas it is, it fits the pattern of the military's long record of
\nhuman rights abuses in the province dating back to 1989.<\/p>\n
Killing in Aceh, it appears, is still the order of the day for
\nsecurity forces some 10 months after a military operation was
\nformally terminated. We have seen this happen time and again in
\nrecent months, even as TNI leaders and the government in Jakarta,
\nincluding President B.J. Habibie himself, took pains to apologize
\nfor past atrocities committed against the people of Aceh.<\/p>\n
To the nation, and especially to the people of Aceh, the
\nkilling is simply unacceptable, on whatever pretext, whether as a
\n\"misunderstanding\" as claimed by the military in Jakarta, or as
\n\"self-defense\" as claimed by the local military. If the shooting
\nwas in self-defense against an armed mob, it begs the question
\nwhy were there no casualties among soldiers? And why were women
\nand children among the casualties? Did the villagers
\nmisunderstand the soldiers, or was it the other way round?<\/p>\n
The promise of a full investigation from TNI chief\/Minister of
\nDefense and Security Gen. Wiranto somehow rings hollow, since
\nprevious fatal incidents have never been explained
\nsatisfactorily. One would be tempted to call on the National
\nCommission of Human Rights (Komnas Ham) to launch an
\ninvestigation, but the commission is overstretched with its
\nlimited resources. Already, it has a huge backlog of unresolved
\ncases from Aceh and other provinces, and with its power limited
\nto conducting investigations, little can be expected from another
\nKomnas Ham mission to Aceh. While the commission has come up with
\nsome credible reports in the past, the government has rarely
\nacted on these findings, raising questions about the commission's
\npolitical clout.<\/p>\n
With all due respect to Komnas-Ham, the latest killing in Aceh
\nis too large and too important for it to handle by itself. A
\nseparate independent commission should be established, at the
\nbehest of President B.J. Habibie, to investigate the incident.
\nThis commission should comprise people of high integrity who can
\nconfront the military and recommend the dismissal of top military
\nleaders responsible for the incident.<\/p>\n
Anything less than this could undermine all the goodwill
\ngestures, including apologies made by Wiranto and Habibie, to
\nplacate the angry people in Aceh. This is assuming that these
\ngestures were indeed genuine and honest in the first place.
\nAcehnese have every right to doubt the seriousness of the
\ngovernment and the military if the killings continue.<\/p>\n
Before this incident, Aceh university students and youths were
\ncampaigning for a referendum to review the province's status in
\nthe republic. Some Aceh leaders, including the province's
\ngovernor, even proposed the idea of federalism for Indonesia.
\nThey said federalism could appease Aceh and other provinces
\ndiscontented with the concentration of power in the hands of
\npeople in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Until the killing on Monday, few people in Aceh endorsed the
\nidea of a total independent state; a referendum was the more
\npopular option. But one should not take the Acehnese for granted.
\nTheir patience and perseverance have limits too. The killing has
\nalready given more ground for the separatists' cause. The
\ngovernment's failure to resolve this incident quickly and
\nsatisfactorily will make full separation with Indonesia an
\nincreasingly attractive option for many Acehnese.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-fatal-misunderstanding-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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