The Acehnese people deserve much better conditions<\/p>\n
Before his return to Bangkok on Wednesday, Thai Maj.
\nGen. Tanongsuk Tuvinum talked to The Jakarta Post's Kornelius
\nPurba about his five-month experience in Aceh as the head of the
\nJoint Security Committee (JSC), and his view about the future of
\npeace in the troubled province.<\/p>\n
Question : You had to leave Aceh while your team was
\ntrying to create peace in the province. How do you
\nfeel about the territory?<\/p>\n
Answer: To me, we have done quite a lot in the last
\nfive months. We have accomplished a lot of things, we have saved
\na lot of lives and I believe that a lot of Acehnese people had a
\nchance to see real peace, for there was a period we minimized the
\nconflict, and also minimized the loss of lives and casualties.<\/p>\n
So I believe JSC itself has accomplished a lot of things. So
\nwe don't go empty handed. But of course it is normal for
\nany peace process that it may have some ups, it may have some
\ndowns, some difficulties. So I believe it is very natural for the
\npeace process to run into difficulties. We cannot achieve peace
\nwithin a period of weeks or months because the conflict or
\ndifferences have been going on for over 26 years. So it takes
\ntime, but hopefully it will not be too long. But five months to
\nme, is very short. We still have hope. Personally, I am still
\noptimistic that the peace process can continue in the near
\nfuture, because both parties are still searching for peace.<\/p>\n
Just now you told me that you could return again to Aceh. What
\ndo you mean?<\/p>\n
What I mean is that peace process will continue, and hopefully
\nit will continue soon. We are still hoping and continue to hope
\nthat both parties can face one another, sit down together and
\ndiscuss differences. So even though there are some reports that
\nthere will be an offensive military operation, hopefully this
\nwill just be a short period, and may be just ... I hope it is
\njust a threat.<\/p>\n
I hope it will not be a real military operation. Of course we
\nknow that the government of Indonesia will conduct three or four
\nmilitary operations. We are hoping that it will be peaceful
\noperation, not a military offensive operation that can make the
\nsituation worse. Hopefully it will be some sort of humanitarian
\noperation rather than anything else.<\/p>\n
You are very popular in Aceh, because people see your
\npresence as a symbol of hope and peace for them.
\nWhat is your biggest achievement there?<\/p>\n
I don't think it is my own, but my team's achievement, the
\nachievement of JSC because after the peace agreement, we
\nminimized the number of incidents and of course we minimized the
\nnumber of losses, the number of casualties, and number of loss of
\nlives, both from the Indonesian Military, the GAM (Free Aceh
\nMovement) members and especially the innocent civilians of Aceh.<\/p>\n
Before the signing, according to statistics there were 87
\npeople killed each month and 90 percent of them were civilians.
\nAnd after the signing we brought the figure down to 11 security-
\nrelated casualties. So that there was a 90 percent drop in number
\nof fatalities.<\/p>\n
Some of those achievements were because both parties refrained
\nfrom committing violence and hostilities. It is very clear for
\nAcehnese people that if there is peace again, they can run their
\nnormal life and the business runs, the people can go out on the
\nstreets at night, shops will open again. And this is good for the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
What is the saddest thing for your?<\/p>\n
Well, the military operation plan, because I would
\nlike to see the peace process going forward. Sometimes we can go
\nfast, sometimes we can go slow, but looking at the process
\naltogether, to me it seems to be running in idle, and we were
\nwasting our energy without going anywhere. That makes it very sad
\nfor the peacekeepers.<\/p>\n
I don't think that anybody would like to stop the peace
\nprocess. Somebody has been working for peace, and if the peace
\nprocess stops you feel like we have unfinished business, an
\nunfinished job. And inside you feel that you have not really
\naccomplished what you have set out to do, what you anticipated
\nshould have be done. I feel disappointed.<\/p>\n
It is not really sadness but disappointment. But what I feel
\nsad for, is the people. People are now faced with the resumption
\nof fighting, conflicts continue, incidents happen, there is a
\nmilitary operation. A lot of people will suffer. So if you ask me
\nabout sadness, I think I am very sad for the people. For myself,
\nI am a little bit disappointed and I would like to see the peace
\nprocess continue, even if it only slows down. But stopping
\nentirely or slipping backward would be a major disappointment for
\nme.<\/p>\n
As the friends of both sides, the GAM and the
\nIndonesian government, what is your advice to GAM now
\nto restore peace?<\/p>\n
I believe that both parties have to stick to their
\ncommitments they made in the agreements. That is the only bible.
\nThat is the only commitment that we have, that is the Cessation
\nof Hostilities Agreement (COHA). So what both parties need to do
\nis only to follow the agreement. If you follow the agreement and
\ncomply with the agreement, I think it is quite enough because the
\nagreement is written very clearly and very well written.<\/p>\n
What is your advice to the government and to the
\nIndonesian Military?<\/p>\n
I am not in the position to advise the government of
\nIndonesia. But since we have been working for the
\nagreement for five months, we may see some necessary
\nimprovements that could be made in order to make the
\npeace process better. But probably it is not proper
\nfor me to talk about it.<\/p>\n
As an Army general how do you perceive the
\nIndonesian military's operation plan?<\/p>\n
Of course the government of Indonesia has the sovereignty over
\nthe land. They have their own right, they have a job to do. I
\nbelieve every country would do the same and, of course, they
\ncannot be separated from the basic principle that each country
\nwill have to comply with.<\/p>\n
Therefore the job of a military is to secure the land, that is
\ntheir job. But the military is a part of the government, so if
\nthe government is committed to something, the military also has
\nto obey and follow the policy laid down by the government. So if
\nthe government signs the agreement, of course the military has to
\nfollow, that is the duty of the military. Therefore, everyone has
\nthe job to carry it out.<\/p>\n
After living for 5 months in Aceh, what is your
\nopinion of the Acehnese, are they independence-minded people?<\/p>\n
I feel they want to live a normal life. And, of course, I feel
\nthey would like to be involved in a lot of the process. They are
\nvery knowledgeable on a lot of things that a lot of people would
\nknow who are the important people and what project is going on.
\nThey will be aware what is going on. So they are interested in
\nthe news. I think they deserve much better conditions because
\nthey have been suffering for too long and too much.<\/p>",
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