BIN accuses foreigners of spying agenda in Aceh<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
State Intelligence Agency (BIN) head Syamsir Siregar has called
\non the government to be alert to possible spying from foreign
\nforces deployed in tsunami-devastated Aceh for relief aid
\noperations.<\/p>\n
However, the government should not necessarily overreact the
\nsuspicions, he told a hearing with the House of Representatives'
\nCommission I for defense and intelligence affairs in Jakarta on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
"Of course, the United States government has its interests and
\nit will use this opportunity to closely monitor the geographic
\nconditions of Aceh and the Strait of Malacca," Syamsir said
\nwithout further elaborating.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono and Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto attended the hearing.<\/p>\n
Syamsir said the United States had wanted a long time to
\ndeploy its military personnel in the Strait of Malacca, one of
\nthe world's busiest shipping lanes near Sumatra island, an area
\nwhere piracy runs virtually unchecked.<\/p>\n
Australia also had similar an intention to establish its
\npresence in the Strait, he said.<\/p>\n
"We should not be extremely suspicious of their presence (in
\nAceh). We need their practical support to handle the catastrophe
\naftermath," Syamsir was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.<\/p>\n
The presence of the foreign military forces should encourage
\nthe Indonesian government improve its readiness to anticipate
\npossible emergency situations in the future.<\/p>\n
International affairs expert Hikmahanto Juwono, from the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, said that as a "warning", such a
\nstatement by the chief intelligence officer was normal.<\/p>\n
Hikmahanto, however, urged Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers
\nand volunteers to enhance their capacities so as to soon take the
\nlead in the emergency relief operations in Aceh.<\/p>\n
"Should the foreign troops carry out espionage missions during
\nthe humanitarian operations, it would be a shameful act," he told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Friday.<\/p>\n
Syamsir said BIN had obtained the identity and data of all
\nforeign volunteers working on humanitarian activities in Aceh,
\nincluding U.S. journalist William Nessen.<\/p>\n
The BIN chief blamed immigration officials for allowing Nessen
\nto enter Indonesia, although he was banned from entering the
\ncountry after allegedly committing an immigration offense in
\n2003.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told Thursday's
\nhearing that he would present "tokens of appreciation" to the
\nfamilies of the soldiers killed in the Dec. 26 earthquake-tsunami
\nin Aceh and North Sumatra where more than 160,000 died.<\/p>\n
Similar presentations would also be made to soldiers who had
\njoined the relief aid operations.<\/p>\n
At least 61 soldiers were killed and 290 others were missing
\nin the tsunami. Forty-six wives of troops died and 265 others are
\nmissing, while 107 children have been reported killed while the
\nfate of 542 others remains unknown.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the TNI had deployed 45,000 troops in Aceh,
\ntwo-thirds of which were assigned to focus on humanitarian
\noperations.<\/p>\n
The remaining others were tasked with safeguard the
\ndistributions of aid for tsunami victims, and continue th crack
\ndown on separatist rebels, he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bin-accuses-foreigners-of-spying-agenda-in-aceh-1447893297",
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