Surrender or face attack, TNI tells GAM<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu told Aceh rebels now under
\nsiege at Cot Trieng village in Nisam district, North Aceh, to
\nsurrender or to face the full brunt of military attack.<\/p>\n
Thousands of military troops have surrounded hundreds of Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) fighters at a swampy headquarters in Cot
\nTrieng village, some 35 kilometers southeast of Lhokseumawe, the
\ncapital of North Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"If (they don't surrender), I will send in my troops to finish
\nthem off,\" said Ryamizard after attending the National Heroes Day
\nceremony at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Sunday, quoted Antara.<\/p>\n
In Aceh, GAM fighters have said they will not surrender, and
\ninstead vowed to continue fighting against advancing government
\ntroops.<\/p>\n
\"We are prepared to fight with TNI, and ask TNI to withdraw
\nall its troops from their positions or suffer a humiliating
\ndefeat,\" said GAM spokesman Tengky Sofyan Dawood, according to
\nAntara. Sofyan Dawood is among the GAM rebels surrounded by TNI
\nat Cot Trieng.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard said the rebels have no other option but to
\nsurrender. \"If they don't surrender, TNI will deal with them
\nfirmly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Command operation spokesman Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno told
\nreporters in Banda Aceh on Sunday that government troops were
\nholding the GAM headquarters under siege until the rebels
\nsurrendered.<\/p>\n
\"We have appealed, and are still continuing to appeal to GAM
\nfighters in the area to turn and surrender. TNI has not launched
\nan attack on the GAM hideout fearing that stray bullets would
\nharm the civilians they are holding captive,\" Firdaus said.<\/p>\n
Military officers said over 100 civilians are currently being
\nheld hostage by the rebels as a human shield, and Firdaus has
\nalso said some GAM fighters were taking refuge among local
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
He denied a suggestion that TNI had already attacked the
\nrebels, but admitted that small skirmishes took place
\noccasionally.<\/p>\n
Indonesian military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said
\nover the weekend that TNI would sustain the siege as long as the
\nrebels refused to sign a peace agreement with the government.<\/p>\n
\"Should they fail to sign the peace agreement by the deadline,
\nwe will bombard the rebels' hiding place,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
The government had hoped to sign a peace agreement with GAM
\nbefore the holy month of Ramadhan started on Nov. 6, but GAM
\nunilaterally delayed the signing until after post-fasting
\ncelebrations, or Idul Fitri, which will fall on Dec. 6-7. No
\nclear explanation was forthcoming from GAM on the delay.<\/p>\n
GAM instead declared a cease-fire during Ramadhan, but TNI and
\nthe government refused to recognize what they deemed a one-sided
\ntruce.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono said over the weekend that the people of
\nAceh wanted the peace agreement signed as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
\"I can feel the disappointment of the Acehnese people,\" Susilo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said earlier that TNI had given in to all the
\nrebels' demands in order to resolve the Aceh question peacefully,
\nbut that GAM did not utilize the opportunity.<\/p>\n
\"Now, we can judge as to whether we can still believe their
\nclaim that they are fighting for the Acehnese people,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/surrender-or-face-attack-tni-tells-gam-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}