Aceh safe for President's visit, Widodo says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite continued security disturbances in
\ncertain parts of Aceh, the strife-torn province is safe for the
\nplanned visit of President Megawati Soekarnoputri early
\nSeptember, says Indonesian Military Commander Adm. Widodo A.S.<\/p>\n
\"Overall the province is secure. Both the (Aceh) governor and
\nlocal security authorities recommend the President proceed with
\nthe visit,\" he said, when asked on Friday about the situation in
\nthe province ahead of Megawati's visit.<\/p>\n
Widodo, along with a team of Cabinet ministers and other
\nmilitary officials, visited Aceh last week to observe the real
\nconditions there following the tension in the province on the eve
\nof the celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day on Aug. 17. At
\nleast 30 workers of an oil palm plantation were killed and at
\nleast 50 school buildings were torched by the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) over the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
GAM referred to the visiting ministers as \"tourists\" and
\ncriticized Jakarta's insistence on maintaining its grip on the
\ntroubled province.<\/p>\n
Widodo admitted that the military has launched a limited
\nsecurity operation in the province as part of a comprehensive
\napproach initiated by the government in search of a peaceful
\nsolution to the Aceh problem.<\/p>\n
\"In addition to such a security approach, the government will
\nalso continue holding dialogs and accelerating development
\nprograms to improve the local people's welfare,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that despite the sporadic disturbances, security
\nauthorities had no plans of deploying a significant number of
\ntroops to the province.<\/p>\n
\"Troop reinforcement depends on condition in the field.\"
\nWidodo hailed the launching of the limited military operation
\nwhich was made possible under the 2001 presidential instruction,
\nsaying it had resulted in a favorable climate in certain troubled
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"The regional administrations have been effective in certain
\ntroubled regencies after the launching of the operation,\" he
\nsaid, citing PT Exxon Indonesia had resumed operations after
\ntemporarily suspending its activities due to security problems.<\/p>\n
He however conceded that the deployment of more troops and
\npolice to the northern and eastern parts of the province had
\nforced GAM to move the target of their attacks to the central and
\neastern areas.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt.
\nGen. Ryamizard Ryacudu called on the government on Friday to take
\nstern measures against GAM members after two years of
\nnegotiations had failed to solve Aceh's problems.<\/p>\n
The three-star general also asserted that GAM was clearly a
\nseparatist movement that must be eliminated.<\/p>\n
\"In any country in the world, a rebel movement would be
\neliminated. They (GAM) have been offered the chance for peace and
\nreconciliation and they have rejected it ... it means that they
\ndo not want peace,\" Ryamizard told the media after a joint
\npolice-military weekly sports event at the National Monument
\n(Monas) in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The general said both the government and the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) had been encouraging negotiations and the peace
\neffort to resolve the Aceh issue.<\/p>\n
\"But during the humanitarian pause, which lasted over a year,
\nGAM remained defiant. There is much proof of this, including the
\nrampant bombings that occurred during that period. It means that
\nthey (the rebels) are getting good at what they do and if we just
\nremain quiet their excesses will increase,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard further said that the government should devise an
\nalternative way to solve the Aceh dispute.<\/p>\n
\"That's my logic. Do we want this nation to be torn apart? If
\nwe let them (the rebels), they'll continue eating our hearts
\nout ... while so many have died. A rebel movement has been
\nclearly taking place in Aceh and the military has to counter it,\"
\nhe said, adding that during two year's of shaky negotiations both
\nthe government and the military had been very patient.<\/p>\n
\"So many troops and civilians have died in vain. When will we
\nput a stop to this?\" he added.<\/p>\n
There are five Kostrad battalions stationed in restive Aceh.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, two men on a speeding motorcycle lobbed a
\ngrenade into the tightly guarded city military headquarters
\ncomplex. The grenade exploded in an empty area and caused no
\ndamage.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, police on Thursday found the body of Chief Sergeant
\nSyarifuddin from Indrapuri, who went missing after being ambushed
\non Wednesday. Also killed in the incident was his commander,
\nWarrant Officer Ali Budiman. (edt\/rms\/tso\/50)<\/p>",
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