More Acehnese reject planned military command<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As the government looks set to reestablish a military command
\nin restive Aceh, Acehnese intellectuals and human rights
\ncampaigners voiced their opposition to the plan, arguing that it
\nwould add to the suffering of the local people.<\/p>\n
Intellectuals grouped in the All Aceh Intellectual Movement
\n(GISA) contended that judging from past experience,
\nreestablishment of the military command would only heighten human
\nrights violations.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want a concentration of security forces here. We
\nfear that they might commit more human rights violations,\" GISA
\nsecretary Syarwan Ahmad said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
He further said that Acehnese were traumatized by the presence
\nof military. Even without the military command, violence
\ncontinues in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The idea to revive the command has also been opposed by the
\nAceh chapter of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
\nViolence (Kontras) and the Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute (LBH
\nBanda Aceh).<\/p>\n
Coordinator of Kontras for Aceh, Andi Rizal, pointed out that
\nthe revival of the command would only strengthen the Indonesian
\nMilitary's (TNI) position and legalize the silent inflow of
\ntroops into the province.<\/p>\n
LBH Banda Aceh director Rufriadi simply said: \"We do not want
\nanother military operation in Aceh.\"<\/p>\n
The government's plan to revive a military command in Aceh
\nseems to be unstoppable as President Megawati Soekarnoputri gave
\na \"positive response\" and Vice President Hamzah Haz gave his
\nconsent to the plan.<\/p>\n
\"The President had responded to the suggestion. The President
\ndid not immediately agree with the idea but gave a positive
\nresponse to it,\" Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on
\nFriday after accompanying Megawati in a meeting with Aceh
\nGovernor Abdullah Puteh.<\/p>\n
Separately, Hamzah said establishing a military command in
\nAceh would require some funding but the government would find
\nways to find the money if the Acehnese people asked for it.<\/p>\n
\"I think, if it meets a real need, a military command can be
\nset up there,\" Hamzah said after Friday prayers at Al Barkah
\nMosque in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The military in Aceh has been under the control of the Bukit
\nBarisan Military Command based in Medan since 1985 when the
\ngovernment merged three military commands in Aceh (Iskandar
\nMuda), West Sumatra (Tujuhbelas Agustus) and North Sumatra into
\nthe Bukit Barisan.<\/p>\n
Governor Puteh, after meeting Megawati, argued that such a
\nmilitary command was necessary because of the vast area of the
\nprovince and to prevent misconduct of security officers in
\nhandling security and order in the province.<\/p>\n
\"It is important to have a military command because Aceh is
\ntoo far away from Jakarta and we need to have immediate security
\ncontrol in the province, although security conditions are
\nimproving,\" Puteh said.<\/p>\n
Puteh, accompanied by his deputy Azwar Abu Bakar and a number
\nof provincial councillors, was in Jakarta to campaign for the
\nreestablishment of the military command in the province.<\/p>\n
LBH Banda Aceh's Rufriadi and GISA's Syarwan blasted Puteh's
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Rufriadi urged the governor to explain the reasons for asking
\nfor the reestablishment of the military command to the people.<\/p>\n
Syarwan noted that it would not strengthen the governor's
\nposition because the people did not like it.<\/p>\n
\"The governor should have consulted the people first before
\nmaking the request,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-acehnese-reject-planned-military-command-1447893297",
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