Acehnese express disbelief over state of emergency plan<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Acehnese expressed disbelief on Friday over the government's
\ninsistence on imposing a state of emergency in the restive
\nprovince, stressing that all social layers in Aceh had expressed
\ntheir rejection to any state of emergency.<\/p>\n
Aceh administration spokesman Husni Bahri told The Jakarta
\nPost on Friday that Acehnese people were still dealing with the
\ntraumas of the 1989-1998 military operations, and any state of
\nemergency now would reopen the wounds.<\/p>\n
\"It is completely wrong to think that opposition (to a state
\nof emergency) does not reflect the aspiration of Acehnese
\npeople,\" said Husni, referring to Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
\nstatement on Thursday that the Aceh councillors and Governor
\nAbdullah Puteh did not represent the Acehnese people as a whole.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Aceh Ulemas Council Tengku Imam Suja' voiced a
\nsimilar opinion on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Imposing a state of emergency in Aceh is against the wishes
\nof the Acehnese people,\" said Imam Suja', who is also chairman of
\nMuhammadiyah Aceh branch.<\/p>\n
Susilo, who just returned from a five-day visit to Aceh to
\nassess whether or not the situation there warrants a state of
\nemergency, said Thursday that the government would pursue its
\nplan to impose a state of emergency in Aceh.<\/p>\n
He also claimed that the near-unanimous rejection by the
\nAcehnese legislative representatives and Governor Puteh did not
\nrepresent the Acehnese people who had been urging the government
\nto deal firmly with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Imam Suja' said Minister Susilo had heard it for himself that
\nAcehnese ulemas, the local administration and other social
\nelements flatly rejected a stronger military approach in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"What Acehnese people want is a dialog between the government
\nand GAM to be pursued,\" Imam Suja' told the Post.<\/p>\n
Aceh councillor Muhammad Nasir Djamil warned Susilo on Friday
\nagainst ignoring the aspirations of Acehnese people which was
\nclearly conveyed to him last week.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta should not disregard those voices as it was conveyed
\ndirectly to the minister,\" Muhammad said.<\/p>\n
\"Should Jakarta insist on imposing a state of emergency in
\nAceh, it will only deepen the scars in the hearts of Acehnese
\npeople,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the peace calls, Iskandar Muda (Aceh) Military
\nCommander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf said in Jakarta on Friday that
\nthe Indonesian Military (TNI) would intensify its military
\noperations in the province.<\/p>\n
\"With or without a decision on a state of emergency in Aceh,
\nwe, the TNI, will continue with our military approach there. I
\nguess it's the only way to protect civilians because the rebels
\nthreaten security,\" Djali told reporters after holding a meeting
\nwith Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu at Army
\nHeadquarters.<\/p>\n
According to Djali, the meeting also discussed the deployment
\nof an additional four battalions to the province.<\/p>\n
He said reinforcements were needed in Aceh to overcome the
\nforces of GAM, which had been fighting for independence since the
\n1970s.<\/p>\n
He predicted that GAM currently had 3,962 combat troops on the
\nground, with 1,800 various weapons.<\/p>\n
The government, on the other hand, has a reported total of
\nsome 21,000 TNI troops and 12,000 police personnel.<\/p>\n
\"If GAM launched a conventional war, I believe that we could
\ncrush them in one day,\" Djali said.<\/p>\n
As the rebels conducted guerrilla warfare, TNI needed more
\ntroops to track down and attack them, he said.<\/p>\n
He said the additional 4,000 troops would mostly be deployed
\nin West Aceh regency, despite the hotbed of rebellion being in
\nEast Aceh regency. Djali did not provide further explanation.<\/p>\n
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto added that the Aceh
\nquestion needed an effective solution.<\/p>\n
\"Dialog is good, but if GAM continues to demand independence,
\ndialog is impossible...we have to settle the Aceh issue once and
\nfor all,\" Sutarto said after meeting President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri at the State Palace Friday.<\/p>\n
The four-star general also proposed an amnesty for GAM members
\nwho wanted to return to the Indonesian side.<\/p>\n
\"Once they (GAM) agree to accept the special regional
\nautonomy, then the government would arrange an amnesty for them,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
However, he said the president had yet to decide a new policy
\non Aceh and TNI would only follow the instruction from the
\ngovernment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-express-disbelief-over-state-of-emergency-plan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}