Acehnese want military out<\/p>\n
Teuku Agam Muzakir, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Nanggroe
\nAceh Darussalam<\/p>\n
Acehnese people appear to have no choice but to allow the
\ngovernment to extend martial law in their province, but hopes
\nabound the military approach will end.<\/p>\n
The Acehnese people said they were afraid the use of military
\nforce would only increase the number of civilian casualties.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nazar, 30, admitted that during the nearly six-month-
\nlong military offensive against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nrebels, people in urban areas had managed to enjoy a normal life,
\nbut the situation was in a stark contrast to that in rural areas,
\nwhere residents have experience continued violence.<\/p>\n
\"Villagers in remote hamlets have been suffering too much and
\npeace seems so far away from them, especially when gunfights take
\nplace near their residences. Some of them are even missing,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Nazar, an employee of a private company who lives in Kampung
\nJawa in Lhokseumawe, said the extension of martial law could be
\nunavoidable but the militaristic approach was no longer
\ntolerable.<\/p>\n
\"If the government insists on maintaining martial law here,
\nplease stop using a military approach,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On Monday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet will
\ndiscuss the possibility of extending martial law, which is due to
\nexpire on Nov. 19.<\/p>\n
Some government and military officials say the extension is
\nneeded to enable the Acehnese to exercise their right to vote in
\nthe elections of legislative members and the president next year.<\/p>\n
On May 19, Megawati issued a decree that stipulates the
\nimposition of martial law in the natural resources rich province
\nfor an extendible period of six months.<\/p>\n
Martial law was initially imposed to allow for a combined
\nmilitary offensive, humanitarian mission, empowerment of local
\nadministration and law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Nuraini, 28, a Banda Aceh resident, said she did not mind if
\nthe government decided to extend martial law. She added, however,
\nthat innocent people should no longer fall victims to the
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
Nearly 1,000 suspected GAM members have been killed since
\nmartial law came into effect.<\/p>\n
The National Commission of Human Rights has recommended an end
\nto martial law after its fact-finding team discovered the
\nmilitary operation was prone to human rights abuses against
\ncivilians.<\/p>\n
The team, chaired by M.M. Billah, said it found extrajudicial
\nkillings and extrajudicial executions during its six visits to
\nAceh since the inception of martial law.<\/p>\n
Despite the big number of GAM members captured, the military
\nthus far has confiscated only 363 weapons from the rebels,
\nfueling speculation that government troops might have targeted
\nnon-combatants.<\/p>\n
Thus far, 304 civilians have been killed and 140 others
\ninjured during the period. Some 151 civilians, including
\ntelevision journalists Ersa Siregar and Ferry Santoro, are being
\nheld hostage by GAM rebels for alleged espionage.<\/p>\n
The military has lost 67 soldiers after the death of an Army
\nsoldier late Friday. The soldier was killed and three of his
\ncolleagues wounded during a firefight with GAM rebels in the
\nBanda Alam area of East Aceh, according to military spokesman Lt.
\nCol. Ahmad Yani Basuki.<\/p>\n
Separately, House of Representatives Commission I on political
\nand security affairs chairman Ibrahim Ambong said the lawmakers
\nthrew their weight behind the government's intention to extend
\nmartial law.<\/p>\n
He said the commission would convene to respond to the demands
\nfrom the Aceh government, legislature and community figures to
\nkeep martial law intact.<\/p>\n
Security conditions in Aceh would improve under martial law in
\nline with people's expectations, Ibrahim said, as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
He said the House had approved the government's proposal for
\nan additional Rp 1 trillion (US$117.6 million) to finance the
\nmilitary operation in Aceh. The first six months of operations
\nwould cost the state Rp 1.4 trillion, taken from emergency funds.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-want-military-out-1447893297",
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