Military operations in Aceh to start soon<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed security personnel on
\nTuesday to prepare for military operations in Aceh, setting the
\nstage for a showdown between government troops and the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) in the troubled province.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after a limited Cabinet meeting
\nthat Megawati had decided to use force if the rebels defied a
\ntwo-week deadline to disarm and renounce their demand for
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
\"The President has instructed (the Indonesian Military) to
\nprepare for any military operations after the May 12 deadline,
\nbut the exact time will be determined later,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
The government has given GAM members a two-week deadline to
\naccept the special autonomy status for Aceh and disarm if they
\nwant to salvage the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)
\nsigned in Geneva, Switzerland last year.<\/p>\n
The ultimatum was issued after the government angrily pulled
\nout of a Joint Council meeting after GAM moved the date back to
\nApril 27, instead of April 25 as it had previously suggested.<\/p>\n
The meeting, the highest under the COHA, was requested by the
\ngovernment to resolve violations to the peace pact, which had
\nbeen proven to reduce violence in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The rebels, who have been fighting for independence for
\nresource-rich Aceh since 1976, defied the ultimatum, saying that
\nthey would return to the negotiating table on their own terms.<\/p>\n
GAM, through peace facilitator the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC),
\nhad requested a meeting after May 12 in Geneva. The government
\ninsisted that the meeting be held before May 12 in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
GAM has resorted to delay tactics in dealing with the Aceh
\nissue. When the government requested a Joint Council meeting in
\nIndonesia, GAM wanted it in Japan, where donor countries met last
\nyear to mobilize restoration funds for battered Aceh.<\/p>\n
When the government caved in to their demand, GAM leaders
\ninsisted that the talks be held in Geneva on April 25. Later, GAM
\npushed the date back to April 27, prompting the government to
\nwithdraw and issue an ultimatum.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said
\nPresident Megawati would issue a number of presidential decrees
\nas legal grounds for any military operations in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, the TNI will need a regulation to legalize the
\noperations, maybe through a presidential decree or some other
\nform,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
It was not immediately clear whether the decision meant that
\nthe government was officially abandoning the peace pact signed
\nwith GAM on Dec. 9.<\/p>\n
Under COHA, any military operations would be justified only if
\nGAM fails to disarm itself by July 9, 2003, when the rebels were
\nexpected to be completely disarmed.<\/p>\n
Susilo said any military operations would not prevent peace
\ntalks with the GAM rebels.<\/p>\n
\"We are still open to holding peace talks with GAM after the
\n(May 12) deadline lapses. It will not restrain us from going
\nahead with the military operations,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Aceh, violence continued unabated with the
\nshooting death of provincial legislator Amiruddin Adam of the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) at Mesjid village in East Aceh
\nregency on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Another clash also broke out in Reng-reng village in Pidie
\nregency when some 15 GAM members became involved in a gunfight
\nwith government troops. Antara reported that two GAM members were
\nkilled in the clash.<\/p>\n
TNI has deployed more troops to the province in the past week
\nwith the recent addition of 1,200 marines to take part in
\nrebuilding the province.<\/p>\n
There are about 12,000 policemen and 26,000 TNI soldiers
\nstationed in the province.<\/p>\n
In an interview with SCTV television station later on Tuesday,
\nSusilo also disclosed that there was a possibility that the
\ngovernment would release HDC, the peace broker of the Dec. 9
\nagreement, from its facilitation role.<\/p>\n
In the Cabinet meeting, the government also decided to
\nofficially ask the Swedish government to prohibit its citizens,
\nHasan Tiro and his group, from leading GAM.<\/p>\n
\"We will officially ask the Swedish government to ban its
\ncitizens from leading a separatist group in our country,\"
\nMinister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said.<\/p>\n
The diplomatic attempt may not yield the desired result as the
\nSwedish government allows the country to grant political asylum
\nto foreigners seeking the facility.<\/p>\n
Indonesia also does not have an extradition treaty with
\nSweden, making it impossible for Jakarta to ask for tough
\nmeasures against Tiro and his group, who have been living in
\nSweden since 1979.<\/p>",
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