Does Aceh need a military command?<\/p>\n
Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The planned revival of a military command in the war-torn
\nprovince of Aceh has caused controversy among the people of Aceh.
\nIt has won support from the local elite, met strong opposition
\nfrom prodemocracy non-governmental organizations and students,
\nand raised deep anxiety among the majority of Acehnese.<\/p>\n
Members of the local elite have thrown their weight behind a
\nplan to give more power to the government and security
\nauthorities in the hope of restoring order and solving the
\nprolonged conflict in the westernmost province.<\/p>\n
Nasir Jamil, a member of the provincial legislature's
\nCommission A on defense and security, understood the government's
\nplan to revive Iskandar Muda Military Command, which was
\ndissolved in 1985 because, in addition to security reasons, it
\nwas stipulated under the regional autonomy law.<\/p>\n
\"With the revival of the military command, the military will
\nhave full control of defense and security matters in the
\nprovince, which is expected to help the government seek a
\ncomprehensive solution to the conflict,\" he told The Jakarta Post
\nhere on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Governor Abdullah Puteh agreed that the military would be able
\nto strengthen its territorial function to tackle numerous
\nsecurity problems in the province.<\/p>\n
The military's territorial function sparked sharp criticism
\nfrom local and foreign observers when it was abused during the
\nSoeharto era to run the former president's repressive
\nadministration and support the once-ruling Golkar party. The
\nmilitary also abused its territorial function to maintain its
\nhold on strategic civilian positions in the administration.<\/p>\n
According to Puteh, all combat soldiers deployed in the
\nongoing military operation in the province should be pulled out
\nafter the military command is revived.<\/p>\n
However, the local elite has yet to learn that the ongoing
\nmilitary operation, which has deployed 15 battalions of combat
\nsoldiers and Police Mobile Brigade, is similar to a military
\ncommand. The current operation lead by an Army brigadier general
\nhas also deployed heavy military equipment such as tanks, modern
\nfirearms and elite forces similar to military commands in other
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. M. Djali Jusuf, commander of the military operation
\nin Aceh, insisted the military would not withdraw those soldiers
\nalready stationed there as well as all the military equipment
\nthat has been deployed to launch the operation should the
\nmilitary command be revived.<\/p>\n
Hussaini Ibrahim, a historian from Syah Kuala University in
\nthe city, admitted that he had had many discussions on the
\nproposal with many sides in the province, and that it had only
\ngained support from the local elite in the executive and
\nlegislative body.<\/p>\n
According to him, local officials supported the proposal,
\nwhich they believed would allow the military to cooperate with
\ninformal leaders and religious figures to encourage development
\nin the province.<\/p>\n
\"The situation in Aceh is expected to calm down if the
\nmilitary command is led by an Acehnese military official as it
\nwas done by the late Brig. Gen. Syauman Gaharu, former and first
\ncommander of the then-Iskandar Muda Military Command,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hussaini recalled the frequent disappointments of the Acehnese
\nin the past when Aceh was administratively dissolved on Aug. 17,
\n1950 and merged with North Sumatra and the dissolution of the
\nmilitary command in 1985.<\/p>\n
\"These two events are considered as an affront to Acehnese
\nidentity and cultural pride,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman Yacub, a locally-known human rights activist,
\nlambasted the planned revival of the military command, which he
\nsaid would be used by the government to solve the Aceh issue with
\nrepression.<\/p>\n
\"The proposal will provide yet more opportunities for the
\nmilitary to intervene in Aceh's civilian matters in the future.
\nThis will certainly make the situation in Aceh worse,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He argued the situation in the province had been mounting over
\nthe last three years because the government had, in the past,
\nallowed the military to use violence and carry out human rights
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
\"As long as the government is reluctant to deal with economic
\ndisparities and bring those accused of human rights violations to
\ncourt, the Aceh issue will no doubt continue,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said the government and security authorities had
\nmisunderstood the silence of the Acehnese people over the killing
\nof more than 6,000 civilians during the military operation over
\nthe last nine months.<\/p>\n
\"In addition to the trauma caused by the repressive military
\noperations between 1989 and 1998, most Acehnese people have to
\nlive in fear because individual rights are not respected. They do
\nnot fear death, but they won't die for nothing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During the ongoing military operation, at least ten Acehnese
\nfigures have been killed. So far, no investigation into the
\nkillings has been carried out.<\/p>\n
Sympathy for the cause of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has
\ngradually increased because of the latter's commitment to
\nupholding economic and legal justice in the province.<\/p>\n
Prior to reviving the military command, according to him, the
\ngovernment should think about its faults and misguided policy in
\nthe past and identify key problems in the province.<\/p>\n
GAM has officially opposed the plan to revive the military
\ncommand for similar reasons.<\/p>",
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