Govt officially declares GAM as separatists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government officially declared on Monday the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) as separatists with a clear aim to
\nseparate Aceh province from the unitary Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The decision was revealed by Cabinet Secretary Marsilam
\nSimanjuntak after a Cabinet meeting attended by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nat the Bina Graha presidential office in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"The Free Aceh Movement has already reached a level that can
\nbe considered a separatist movement," Marsilam told media, as
\nquoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
In Karawang regency of West Java, Army chief of staff Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto said on Monday that the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) would rather conduct a military operation to respond to
\nseparatist activities than allow any regions throughout the
\nnation to separate from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"If there are only two options -- to conduct a military
\noperation or to lose the region -- we (the TNI) will firmly
\nchoose the first option," Endriartono said while addressing the
\nopening of a training camp for members of the Army's Strategic
\nReserves Command (Kostrad)'s new intelligence platoons at the
\nSangga Buana exercise camp in Karawang.<\/p>\n
"We are doing our duty to maintain the nation's unity," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The four-star general warned the soldiers to be selective in
\nperforming their duties in an emergency area, saying that they
\nmust not kill innocent people.<\/p>\n
"You should shoot at your enemies, not the people. Killing
\ninnocent people will only give you a temporary victory, while in
\nfact you are just creating more enemies for the future," he said.<\/p>\n
In Aceh, Cinta Meunasah II spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Harunantyo
\nsaid the planned limited military operation could be conducted
\nbased on the escalation of the situation in the area.<\/p>\n
"But again, if such an operation is to be conducted, it must
\nbe clear who will conduct the operation, the perimeter of the
\noperation area, the target of the operation, the kind of
\nrepressive action to be taken and, most importantly, the legal
\nand political basis of the action," he told The Jakarta Post by
\nphone from Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
He cited that unusual and uncontrollable incidents often
\noccurred in Aceh.<\/p>\n
"On March 8 alleged rebels stormed the Simpang Ulin Military
\nSubdistrict and seized 16 of the 30 M-16 rifles at the post
\nwithout interference. Hundreds of rounds of bullets were also
\nkept in the post," he said, adding that it is uncommon for a
\nsubdistrict post to hold such stocks of weaponry.<\/p>\n
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Chaerul Rasyid said on
\nMonday that the police are ready to temporarily fill the district
\nchiefs' administrative positions which are being abandoned
\nbecause of security threats.<\/p>\n
Reports have stated that in the regencies of East Aceh, North
\nAceh and Pidie, about 75 percent of the administrative operations
\nhave not been functioning.<\/p>\n
Similar conditions are also found in districts across West
\nAceh and South Aceh.<\/p>\n
The civil servants and other government officials are
\nreportedly too scared to undertake their duties due to threats
\nfrom the rebels.<\/p>\n
Violence, however, continued to rock the province on Monday,
\nkilling at least five people, including a soldier identified as
\nCorp. Suwardi.<\/p>\n
Officer Harunantyo also said that the police had never been
\nnotified of the closure of either ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia or PT
\nArun LNG Co's plants.<\/p>\n
"Up until today those companies have not given us any
\ninformation about the closures. We would appreciate it if they
\nwere straight forward with us about what is going on.<\/p>\n
"We do not want to risk anything as rebels may take over the
\ncompound and the already complex situation will become worse," he
\nsaid. (edt\/02\/50)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-officially-declares-gam-as-separatists-1447893297",
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