Kodam for Aceh?<\/p>\n
To thinking citizens, the idea of setting up a new regional
\nmilitary command (Kodam) today might sound strange or outlandish,
\nif not blatantly antithetical to the nationwide struggle to
\nestablish a civil society.<\/p>\n
However, in the case of the demand of the people of the
\ntroubled province of Aceh that its long dissolved Kodam be
\nreinstated, their reasons deserve serious study, but only if the
\nmeasure is intended to help accelerate the return of peaceful
\nconditions there. Aceh's previous military command was rather
\ngrandly referred to as Kodam Iskandar Muda (after the powerful
\nsultan who ruled the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam in the first part
\nof the 17th century.)<\/p>\n
The idea of reinstating an Aceh Kodam has been an \"on again,
\noff again\" proposal. When President B.J. Habibie's government
\nannounced the idea of reestablishing a Kodam in Aceh, many
\nparties in the province, who had been traumatized by the brutal
\nand inhumane military operations conducted under the code name of
\nDOM, flatly rejected the proposal. They included the local
\nassembly (DPRD), which is now one of the supporters of Kodam's
\nreinstatement. They now say that they are proud of the name
\nIskandar Muda.<\/p>\n
The people of Aceh are irritated by the presence of the
\nOperational Command for the Rehabilitation of Security (Kolakop)
\nin Lhokseumawe, an industrial city and regency capital of North
\nAceh. The function of Kolakop, which is headed by an Army
\nbrigadier general and the provincial police chief, has been
\nqueried. If a semimilitary agency chaired by two brigadier
\ngenerals can be established, why not set up a Kodam in Banda
\nAceh, the provincial capital, with a clear status and situated in
\nthe provincial capital instead of in Medan?<\/p>\n
History shows that in 1629 Iskandar twice tried to free Malaka
\nfrom the yoke of Portuguese colonial power. According to the
\nEncyclopaedia Britannica, Aceh achieved great prosperity under
\nthe monarch and controlled the northwestern portion of what's now
\nknown as the Indonesian archipelago.<\/p>\n
But there are also community groups, especially non-
\ngovernmental organizations, that do not care about historical
\nsentiment and fear a repetition of cold-blooded military
\noperations, carried out in an even more callous way.<\/p>\n
The Kodam was abolished along with 16 others throughout
\nIndonesia and merged into 10 new military commands in 1985. The
\nfunctions of the Kodam Iskandar Muda were moved to the North and
\nCentral Sumatra Military Command located in Medan, the capital of
\nNorth Sumatra. The Acehnese were somewhat demoralized by the
\nmeasure because, historically speaking, Aceh had played a leading
\nrole in the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia in the
\n1940s whereas Medan, then the capital of the East Sumatra region,
\nwith its traditional, procolonial aristocrats had been the
\ncapital city of the Dutch-created puppet state of Negara Sumatra
\nTimur (East Sumatra State).<\/p>\n
However, after the central government explained that the
\nchange had been implemented for the sake of efficiency, the
\npeople of Aceh were able to accept it. Studying the mood of the
\npeople during a meeting between delegations representing the Aceh
\nadministration and the Acehnese people, we would tend to say that
\nPresident Megawati will soon give her nod of approval to the
\nplan.<\/p>\n
But amid the wave of change currently sweeping the world and
\nour country, the President needs to give more thought to demands
\nto abolish Kodam throughout the archipelago. With the fall of
\nSoeharto's despotic regime, which abused the power of the
\nmilitary from the central military headquarters right down to the
\nvillage level in the pursuit of its own interests, this noble
\nidea should have been seriously discussed many years ago. But
\nback then it was completely unthinkable because of the presence
\nof so many pro-Soeharto elements both within and without the
\ngovernment. Considering that Kodam usually ask for police
\nassistance to secure special events, it could be viewed as a
\nredundant unit anyway.<\/p>\n
Back in Aceh, where the law has long been held at bay by both
\nseparatists and members of the armed forces and police, the local
\ngovernment should announce, as part of its plan to reinstate
\nKodam, ideas on how to make the best use of the new military
\ncommand to: first, bring to justice those officers who have
\ncommitted human rights violations, because what the Acehnese
\nbadly need right now is the restoration of their pride, whether
\nthat be based on historical factors, ethnic pride or justice. And
\nsecond, when the time comes, to join other people throughout the
\ncountry to campaign for the abolition of military commands at all
\nlevels in order to raise our nation to the same level as modern
\nand civilized countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kodam-for-aceh-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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