ExxonMobil expected to restart operations soon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A meeting of the Indonesian authorities and
\nExxonMobil Oil Indonesia Inc. agreed on Monday afternoon that the
\nU.S.-based oil firm is expected to resume its operations in Aceh
\non April 2.<\/p>\n
\"Although there is no guarantee that after two weeks of troop
\ndeployment security problems can be settled, ExxonMobil is
\nexpected to restart its production activities on April 2 as the
\ncountry has suffered a lot financially,\" secretary-general of the
\nMinistry of Mineral Resources Djoko Darmono said after a 4.5-hour
\nmeeting at the ministry.<\/p>\n
He said the government and ExxonMobil have yet to calculate
\nthe total losses since the company halted its operations on March
\n9.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by representatives from the office of
\nthe Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security
\nAffairs; the Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters; the Bukit
\nBarisan Regional Military Command which oversees Aceh, North
\nSumatra, West Sumatra and Riau provinces; the Mineral Resources
\nMinistry and ExxonMobil.<\/p>\n
Djoko said that in response to ExxonMobil's request for
\nsecurity assurance, the government has decided to send 2,128
\ntroops to safeguard all ExxonMobil's vital installation sites.<\/p>\n
Assistant for Operations to TNI Chief of General Affairs Maj.
\nGen. Adam Damiri said TNI had provided security protection for
\nExxonMobil's 39 vital installation sites, located in the towns of
\nLhokseumawe, Lhoksukon and Pasei.<\/p>\n
TNI spokesman Rear Marshall Graito Usodo similarly said that
\nthere was no guarantee that the situation would return to normal.<\/p>\n
\"But, we'll do our best so that ExxonMobil can operate again,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Graito said TNI will send one more battalion and several
\narmored vehicles from cavalry units in Bandung, West Java, to
\nsafeguard ExxonMobil's installation sites.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, chief of the Bukit Barisan Military Command Maj.
\nGen. I.G. Purnawa said the command still encountered difficulties
\nin maintaining security and order in Aceh because TNI's presence
\nin the troubled province was primarily to safeguard and prevent
\nany physical damage to strategic installations that could bring
\ntheir production to a halt.<\/p>\n
Purnawa said that he had yet to receive details for the
\nplanned limited military operation although the Cabinet had
\ndeclared GAM a separatist movement.<\/p>\n
\"TNI is currently waiting for the government's political
\ndecision. I personally have yet to receive the order from the TNI
\nchief,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. confirmed there
\nwill be military operations in Aceh because GAM is no longer
\nrecognized as a movement for freedom, but the Aceh Separatist
\nMovement (GSA).<\/p>\n
\"A separatist organization, in legal terms, is a group of
\npeople which has the intention of toppling a legitimate
\ngovernment. So, the military operation should be seen from the
\npoint of view of this legal stance.<\/p>\n
Mahfud said the government has yet to announce the fixed date
\nfor the military operations.<\/p>\n
Back in Aceh, violence in the troubled province of Aceh has
\nclaimed five more lives, including a policeman, officials said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Suspected GAM rebels shot dead police Brig. Bakri in his car
\non Monday in the Krueng Cut village, Darussalam district, Banda
\nAceh capital, police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Sayed Husaini said.<\/p>\n
The killing followed the fatal shooting of a shopkeeper by
\nunidentified gunmen on a motorcycle on Sunday night, also in
\nBanda Aceh, Sayed added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, officials of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) said
\nthe body of a man with his hands tied was found on Sunday in the
\nIndrapuri area of Aceh Besar district and another body found in a
\ndrum dumped at Sungai Meureubo village in West Aceh.<\/p>\n
The finding adds to similar murders last year where at least
\nfive bodies were found in drums filled with cement, also in West
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
Also on Sunday, a fisherman was killed by a stray bullet
\nduring a gunfight between police and rebels in the village of
\nSeuriget, East Aceh, said East Aceh police chief Sr. Adj. Comr.
\nAbdullah Hayati.<\/p>\n
From the giant industrial regency of North Aceh, spokesman of
\nPT Arun LNG Co. Adnan N. Tusuf was quoted by Antara as saying on
\nMonday that \"all employees of PT Arun are working as usual and no
\nevacuation took place.\"<\/p>\n
\"All administration works continue while there is one
\noperational gas pipeline from the previous six available,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The statement was made following the temporary closure of the
\nExxonMobil plants, from where thousands of employees of the oil
\nfirm have been evacuated out of the region.<\/p>\n
\"We (PT Arun) have around 1,200 employees and we have not yet
\nevacuated them due to the fact that is a lack of gas supplies
\nfrom ExxonMobil and we are continuing to produce gas from North
\nSumatra offshore,\" Adnan said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, GAM separatist commander Tengku Abdullah Syafi'ie
\nDimatang said in a press statement made available to The Jakarta
\nPost on Monday that GAM \"will comply with the security zone
\nagreed in a consultation meeting between both GAM and Indonesian
\nfield commanders\".<\/p>\n
The declared zones are in Bireun and North Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"I hereby order all GAM members to obey the agreement and urge
\nIndonesia's security personnel not to make offensive or
\nprovocative motions that will damage the peace effort.. we are
\nstill progressing with dialogs to resolve Aceh's problems,\"
\nAbdullah said in the statement.<\/p>\n
In another development, Aceh's Commission for Missing Persons
\nand Victims of Violence (Kontras) rejected on Monday the planned
\nlimited military operation in the disputed province, fearing
\nfurther negative reaction since people are still traumatized by
\nthe previous military operation (DOM) and current day-to-day
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
The government and rebels have been holding peace talks in
\nGeneva since last year. They have signed a series of truces but
\nso far failed to stem violence which has left some 300 people
\ndead this year.<\/p>\n
There are some 30,000 organic and non-organic security
\npersonnel stationed in the disputed province of Aceh. (50\/edt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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