Govt to revoke Aceh martial law<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri agreed on Thursday to lower the
\nmartial law status in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam to a state of
\ncivil emergency but would let integrated military and police
\noperations continue.<\/p>\n
"Despite the state of civil emergency, the integrated
\noperations will go on and 11 villages that are still under GAM
\ninfluence will be treated differently," interim coordinating
\nminister for political and security affairs Hari Sabarno said
\nafter a Cabinet meeting on Aceh.<\/p>\n
The operations include military offensives against the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) rebels. Others focus on humanitarian
\nmissions, economic recovery, improving the regional
\nadministration and law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Hari said despite the lifting of martial law, the province's
\ngovernor would not necessarily run the administration, as
\nstipulated by Law No. 23\/1959 on the state of emergency.<\/p>\n
"Read the law carefully, especially Article 4 on the
\nadministration of a region where a state of civil emergency is
\nimposed. The power does not necessarily rest in the governor,"
\nHari said.<\/p>\n
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh through his lawyer O.C. Kaligis
\nrecently requested protection from the House of Representatives
\ndue to allegations he was involved in several corruption cases.<\/p>\n
The martial law administration in Aceh has conducted
\npreliminary investigation into the graft cases, which will be
\ntaken over by the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Puteh has never been questioned in connection with the cases
\ndue to the absence of Megawati's consent.<\/p>\n
Hari said after a year, the military operation in Aceh had
\nbrought security and order back to the natural resource-rich
\nprovince but had not rooted out the rebels.<\/p>\n
"Until now, we have only reduced the numbers of GAM troops by
\naround 60 percent and confiscated about 40 percent of their
\nweapons. To prevent (GAM) from becoming a new threat, the
\npresence of the military has to be maintained," the minister
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Belying the government's claim of improvement in security and
\norder in the province, the National Commission on Human Rights
\nsays it has discovered forced "disappearances" and displacement,
\nrapes, judicial killings and arbitrary arrests during the martial
\nlaw period.<\/p>\n
Megawati declared martial law in Aceh on May 19, 2003 for a
\nsix-month period after efforts to salvage a peace agreement
\nsigned between government and GAM representatives in Tokyo,
\nDecember 2002, broke down.<\/p>\n
Megawati extended martial law for another six months in
\nNovember last year. Unlike the first phase, which was aimed at
\ngaining territorial control of the province, the extension was
\nintended to allow the Acehnese to exercise their right to vote in
\nthe April 5 legislative election.<\/p>\n
Hari said the new civil emergency status would also help
\nensure the peace was kept in the presidential election on July 5
\nand the possible run-off on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
To monitor the implementation of the state of civil emergency,
\na team led by Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) head Mar'ie Muhammad
\nwould continue its work, Hari said.<\/p>\n
The change in status will give the police the main role of
\nmaintaining security in the province but in certain conditions
\nthe Indonesian Military (TNI) could be involved.<\/p>\n
"Security will be in the hands of the police but they can ask
\nfor help from the TNI in emergencies. We will confirm the
\nstructure of the civil emergency framework at the Cabinet meeting
\non Monday and decide who will lead the province," Hari said.<\/p>\n
Under the new status, the government will increase sea and air
\npatrols in the Strait of Malacca to block the supply of weapons
\nand materials to GAM.<\/p>\n
Another focus of the security operation is the release of over
\n200 civilian hostages, including RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro, who
\nhas been held by GAM for over a year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-revoke-aceh-martial-law-1447893297",
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