Military in Aceh<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post of May 14 reported a question forwarded by
\ncritics, as to why the military is still in Aceh.<\/p>\n
I wonder why it is necessary to put forward such a question.
\nBut then, we are a democratic country and anybody is free to ask
\nor offer their opinion. The government has lifted the state of
\nCivil Emergency, but failed to order the withdrawal of military
\ntroops from Aceh.<\/p>\n
There is no civil emergency status in other provinces in
\nIndonesia, such as West Java, Central Java, East Java and many
\nothers. The military are still there but, what has changed are
\ntheir duties and responsibility in the area of security, which is
\nnow in the hands of the Police. We must not forget that the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) is the legal national Army of the
\nRepublic of Indonesia and can be stationed in any part of the
\nIndonesian Republic.<\/p>\n
Critics should not forget that the TNI, besides fighting
\nrebels in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD), are there to help the
\nAcehnese people rebuild their devastated province after the
\ntsunami disaster that had more than 100,000 victims. They helped
\nlook for victims, distribute food and medicine, build roads and
\nmany other humanitarian duties.<\/p>\n
Once in a while they harassed GAM troops, who were starting to
\nrob people because of, among others things, food scarcity. With
\nthe absence of the TNI, the common people will suffer from these
\nGAM attacks. Even foreign troops do these humanitarian tasks and
\nthe TNI should help them.<\/p>\n
It is strange, and those critics did not question why GAM
\nmembers are still fighting and attacking people and the Army in
\nspite of the progress made in the bilateral talks between the
\nIndonesian government and GAM leaders, which is still going on in
\na foreign country. The critics should ask why GAM are not
\nsurrendering and halting their fight against the legal government
\nof the Republic of Indonesia, or at least maintaining a
\ncease fire, in order to create a conducive political atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Officially and legally the GAM movement is still a rebellion,
\nbecause they are still violating the Indonesian Constitution.<\/p>\n
SOEGIH ARTO, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-in-aceh-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }