Critics slam government's new plan for Aceh<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Commentators gave the cold shoulder to the government's decision
\nto revoke the martial law status of Aceh and declare a state of
\ncivil emergency, saying the policy would not be effective unless
\nit was followed by a reshuffle in the current civilian
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Syah Kuala University sociologist Otto Syamsuddin Ishak
\nproposed the government establish a transition administration in
\nthe province with the main task of imposing special autonomy,
\nenabling the direct election of civilian authorities.<\/p>\n
The transition government should also review the integrated
\nmilitary and police operation in the province and focus instead
\non the improvement of local welfare, with the military's role
\nlimited to intelligence operations, he said.<\/p>\n
Otto criticized the government for having failed to set
\nparameters determining whether the one-year-old martial law had
\nachieved anything.<\/p>\n
When President Megawati Soekarnoputri imposed the martial law
\nin Aceh on May 19 last year, she issued a decree allowing a
\nmassive deployment of troops there to crush the separatist Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Along with the military offensive, she also introduced other
\noperations -- humanitarian missions, and law enforcement and
\neconomic recovery programs.<\/p>\n
"Despite these measures, the condition of the Aceh people has
\nremained the same or is even worse since martial law was imposed.
\nThe Acehnese are getting poorer and poorer, while the number of
\nunemployed is increasing. A series of arbitrary arrests continue
\nwith many civilians accused of being members or sympathizers of
\nthe secessionist movement," Otto told The Jakarta Post on Friday.<\/p>\n
Hasballah M. Saad, an Acehnese figure and former minister of
\nhuman rights agreed.<\/p>\n
Hasballah suggested that Megawati replace Aceh Governor
\nAbdullah Puteh who has been linked to several corruption
\nscandals.<\/p>\n
To prevent the secessionist movement from becoming a new
\nthreat, the government is maintaining the presence of around
\n40,000 troops in the province.<\/p>\n
The decision was taken amid public dissatisfaction with Puteh,
\nfollowing the martial law administration's preliminary
\ninvestigations into graft cases in his administration, with the
\nAttorney General's Office set to take over the cases.<\/p>\n
The office has not been able to summon Puteh in connection
\nwith the alleged corruption cases due to the absence of
\nMegawati's consent, and Otto said the Acehnese now doubted
\nwhether widespread corruption in the province could ever be
\neradicated.<\/p>\n
"The rift between the military and civilian authorities in
\nAceh is now well-known. If the President fails to (dismiss
\nPuteh), I believe the condition in Aceh will worsen because of
\nthis bad blood."<\/p>\n
"How will Puteh wield effective control over the huge number
\nof troops," Hasballah said.<\/p>\n
Both Otto and Hasballah also criticized the lack of
\naccountability of the government when setting its budget for the
\nmartial law administration.<\/p>\n
The government earlier said it had allocated outside-budget
\nfunds amounting to about Rp 10 trillion (US$11.4 billion) for the
\noperations, including Rp 1.9 trillion for the military offensive.<\/p>\n
Budget -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/critics-slam-governments-new-plan-for-aceh-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }