JP\/2\/KODAM<\/p>\n
Mega bows to military,
\nallows Aceh command<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono said in Jakarta on Thursday that President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri will issue a decision on the
\nreestablishment of the military command in Aceh in the near
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
\"The suggestion and demand for the reestablishment of the
\nmilitary command will be carefully considered and there will soon
\nbe a political decision on it,\" Susilo said at a media conference
\nafter a Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
\"If the reestablishment of the military command could be part
\nof a solution in troubled Aceh then we will revive it,\" the
\nminister said, reiterating the importance of maintaining the
\nterritorial integrity of the country.<\/p>\n
According to a human rights campaigner here, however, the plan
\nto revive the Aceh military command will only prolong oppression
\nin the territory, because it would in effect, deploy thousands of
\ntroops intent on crushing separatism without regard for human
\nrights.<\/p>\n
Bambang Widjojanto sees the plan as a concession that
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri must \"pay\" to the military in
\nexchange for its support of her administration.<\/p>\n
\"The military has been politically isolated, criticized and in
\na difficult position, and it seems that they now see an
\nopportunity to rebuild their strength under the Megawati
\nadministration,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Megawati, a staunch nationalist and completely
\nintolerant of any type of separatist activity, is aware that it
\ncould take a very long time to create a peaceful, diplomatic
\nsolution to the conflict in Aceh, and so she is taking an
\nexpedient route, a short cut, the \"crush-them-with-the-military
\nway\", he asserted.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that there are essentially three reasons behind
\nthe re-establishment of the Aceh military command. First,
\nMegawati wants a quick solution but without calculating the risk,
\nsecond the military needs a legitimate base to deal with the
\nseparatism, in its way, without any checks or balances and third
\nthe military wants to politicize social problems in Aceh and use
\nviolence to put it to an end.<\/p>\n
\"Why does the military want to revive the command at a time
\nwhen it is supposed to be reducing its territorial role and only
\nfocusing on outside threats?\" Bambang asked.<\/p>\n
Susilo said that the government would not only concentrate on
\nthe security aspects for the reestablishment of the military
\ncommand, but more on the effort to maintain the country's
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
The Iskandar Muda Military Command, which oversaw Aceh, the
\nTujuhbelas Agustus Military Command that oversaw West Sumatra and
\nthe Bukit Barisan Military Command, which oversaw North Sumatra,
\nwere merged into the Bukit Barisan Military Command in May 1985.<\/p>\n
The military in Aceh is now under the control of the Bukit
\nBarisan Military Command, whose territories cover several
\nprovinces including North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam.<\/p>\n
In 1999 then military commander Gen. Wiranto proposed the
\nreestablishment of the Iskandar Muda Military Command, but the
\nproposal was withdrawn after receiving strong opposition due to
\nfears of the repetition of human rights abuses during the
\nmilitary operation from 1989 to 1998.<\/p>\n
Any effort to improve the security situation in the province,
\nwhere the special autonomy law and syariah (Islamic law) has been
\nofficially put into effect since Tuesday, will receive a
\nskeptical response because of severe public distrust of the
\nmilitary establishment.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the plan for the reestablishment of the military
\ncommand in the province will also gain opposition from certain
\nelements in society.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar Aly of the University of Indonesia (UI) said that a
\ntryout is needed before the military command is reestablished to
\nensure that there will be no negative effect to its
\nreestablishment.<\/p>\n
\"Such a tryout is needed to answer public skepticism that the
\nreestablishment of the military command is not aimed at returning
\nmilitarism to the province,\" said Bachtiar, former presidential
\nadviser for Aceh affairs.<\/p>\n
\"I agree with the idea to reestablish the military command if
\nthe objective is to create a clear command in the region's
\nsecurity forces,\" Bachtiar told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said he could understand the reasons behind the
\nprovincial administration's demand to reestablish the military
\ncommand, as the uncertain security command in Aceh had caused
\nproblems for security personnel.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp2kodam-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}