House to pass special autonomy law in May<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): While indicating that the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) would pass the special autonomy law for
\nNanggroe Aceh Darussalam in May, a legislator warned on Tuesday
\nthat the government should not preempt the House by issuing a
\ngovernment regulation in lieu of a law.<\/p>\n
\"Although we may exceed the May 1 deadline for the enactment
\nof the law, we will still pass it in May,\" the chairman of the
\nHouse special committee on special autonomy for Aceh, Ferry
\nMursyidan Baldan, said.<\/p>\n
The May 1 deadline is stipulated in the People's Consultative
\nAssembly Decree No.4\/2000 recommending the implementation of
\nregional autonomy, which was debated during the Assembly's annual
\nsession last August.<\/p>\n
The same deadline has been set for a law on special autonomy
\nfor Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Ferry said the government should not force the matter by
\nissuing a regulation in lieu of a law just to meet the deadline.<\/p>\n
\"The government should wait for the bill which is being
\ndeliberated. Besides, we don't know what the substance of the
\nplanned government regulation will be,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on a statement by Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nsetting out the government's plan to issue a government
\nregulation on special autonomy for Aceh and Irian Jaya so as to
\nmeet the deadline set by the Assembly decree.<\/p>\n
Susilo said on Tuesday that the government would submit the
\ndraft government regulation to House leaders on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The Assembly decree stipulates that the House, in
\ncollaboration with the government, has to pass the laws before
\nMay 1. But since the House is in recess, we may fail to meet the
\ndeadline,\" he said after a coordinating meeting on political,
\nsocial and security affairs.<\/p>\n
\"The government, therefore, proposes to issue a regulation,
\nwhile the House continues to debate the bill,\" he added.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the committee held a hearing with Aceh Governor
\nAbdullah Puteh, who said that the establishment of Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam would be one solution to the Aceh problem that was
\ncapable of meeting the demands of the Acehnese.<\/p>\n
Separately, Indonesian Military (TNI) general affairs chief
\nLt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago said the TNI may deploy more troops to
\nAceh depending on security developments in the province.<\/p>\n
\"If the situation requires the TNI to send more troops there,
\nwe will do so,\" Djamari said.<\/p>\n
The TNI has so far deployed eleven companies of troops to Aceh
\nin an effort to suppress the armed insurgency in the province.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, back in Aceh, the violence continued unabated with
\nat least two people being killed on Monday, spokesman for the
\nPolice's Cinta Meunasah II Operation Adj. Sr. Comr. Sad
\nHarunantyo told The Jakarta Post from the capital of Aceh, Banda
\nAceh, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Separately, the chairman of Aceh's coordinating unit for
\ndisaster relief Azwar Abubakar said a total of 5,185 houses had
\nbeen torched and more than 15,000 people left homeless during the
\npast two years of conflict in Aceh.<\/p>\n
According to Azwar, there are about 24,000 refugees generated
\nby the conflict spread across five regencies in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Antara also quoted a spokesman for the humanitarian
\norganization Peace Through Dialog, Oemardi, as saying that the
\nHenry Dunant Center (HDC) had pledged US$50,000 to help Acehnese
\nrefugees in Idi Rayeuk subdistrict in eastern Aceh.<\/p>\n
Oemardi, however, said the NGO could not channel the aid until
\nthe warring groups in Aceh give security assurances for the
\nproject.<\/p>\n
The donation will be used to rehabilitate 213 houses and shops
\nburned down during armed clashes between government troops and
\nGAM rebels, Oemardi said.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police records show that at least 298
\npeople have died in clashes in Aceh over the past month.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said on
\nTuesday that the victims included civilians, GAM members and TNI
\nand police personnel.<\/p>\n
\"Of the 298, 33 were from the TNI, 36 were police officers,
\nand the remainder were GAM insurgents and civilians,\" Didi told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
Those reported missing during the ongoing conflict in Aceh,
\nDidi said, included three TNI soldiers, 10 police officers, and
\n56 members of GAM and civilians.<\/p>\n
\"So far during the recent clashes, police have arrested 209
\npeople suspected of being GAM members, and have seized various
\nitems of incriminating evidence from them,\" Didi said.
\n(02\/dja\/edt\/ylt)<\/p>",
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