'Aceh operation to go beyond six months'<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The military operation in Aceh is likely to drag on beyond the
\ninitial time limit of six months, with the military chief saying
\nthat the operation will continue with or without an extension of
\nmartial law in the province.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief
\nGen. Endriartono Sutarto said that the military operation may
\ntake more than a year before it could root out the separatist
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
"It the may take more than a year, and the military operation
\nis likely to continue even if martial law is lifted," Endriartono
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the decision on whether to extend martial law in the
\nprovince would be taken later when the six-month period was
\napproaching its end.<\/p>\n
"However, that is for martial law, but maybe not for the
\nmilitary operation," the four-star general remarked.<\/p>\n
President Megawati has said that martial law in Aceh would be
\nextended if the military needed extra time to root out separatist
\nrebels, and that she would consult the House of Representatives
\nbefore extending the period.<\/p>\n
It is not clear as yet what Endriartono aims to do with the
\nextra time as he said earlier that the military had gained 100
\npercent control over Aceh's territory -- although this was later
\ndisputed by GAM commanders.<\/p>\n
The military clearly stated before the military operation
\nbegan that the aim of the operation was to regain territorial
\ncontrol and disarm as many rebels as possible.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), however,
\nhas labeled the military operation a failure as it had only
\nincreased the number of civilian casualties.<\/p>\n
The 40,000-strong military and police operation to crush the
\nseparatists entered its eighth week on Monday. More than 48,000
\npeople have been driven from their homes by the conflict.<\/p>\n
The military is apparently trying to avoid a repeat of the
\nrampant rights abuses in Aceh in the 1990s when the province was
\ndesignated a military operation area.<\/p>\n
In an ostensible effort to curb civilian casualties and human
\nrights abuses, the military has disciplined or court-martialed a
\nnumber of low-ranking soldiers suspected of having committed
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
Five of these have been sentenced to a few months in jail for
\nbeating villagers.<\/p>\n
Three soldiers have also gone on trial for raping four
\nAcehnese women in North Aceh. The trial started on Monday in
\nLhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lt, Col. Achmad Yani Basuki, the spokesman for the
\nTNI's Operation Command in Lhokseumawe revealed on Wednesday that
\nthe TNI had killed a GAM deputy commander for the Pasai region,
\nTengku Halim bin Yasin.<\/p>\n
Tengku Halim, according to Achmad Yani, was a deputy to Sofyan
\nDawood, the GAM Pasai commander and the organization's chief
\nspokesman.<\/p>\n
Halim was killed after a clash with TNI forces at Alue Putong
\nvillage, Dewantara district, North Aceh, on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
The TNI seized one gun, 30 rounds of ammunition and a cell
\nphone from his body.<\/p>\n
"It was finally confirmed today that he was Tengku Halim bin
\nYasin," said Yani.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-operation-to-go-beyond-six-months-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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