TNI prioritizes security in Aceh<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has stressed the importance of
\nenhancing security in Aceh during the election campaign beginning
\non March 11, a decisive factor in evaluating the progress the
\ngovernment has made under the martial law in the province that
\ncould end in May.<\/p>\n
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said here on Monday good
\nsecurity during the three-week election campaign would be a major
\nfactor in the decision whether to extend martial law or downgrade
\nit to a civilian emergency situation.<\/p>\n
"If everything goes well (during the campaign), this will make
\nit quite easy to do the evaluation and will pave the way for the
\ngovernment to downgrade the martial law to a civil emergency
\nsituation," the general said during a tour to observe election
\npreparations in Bali.<\/p>\n
This is why the military saw no advantage for the government
\nto downgrade the martial law ahead of the elections, he said.<\/p>\n
The military has claimed significant progress in quelling the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for separation
\nfrom Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Many observers, including Acehnese religious and community
\nleaders, have called on the government to demilitarize areas of
\nAceh that the military has claimed to be "clean of rebels", to
\nensure the elections will go forward in a smooth and democratic
\nmanner.<\/p>\n
These observers have cautioned that while the elections in
\nAceh may go forward smoothly in the sense that a majority of
\nvoters will go to polling stations, they will not be free if
\nvoters are unable to exercise their right to vote for the party
\nof their choice.<\/p>\n
Some political analysts have speculated that most Acehnese
\nresidents will not vote because they are disappointed with the
\nway the government has handled the Aceh issue.<\/p>\n
In the past, many Acehnese were reluctant to cast their votes
\nbecause they had lost confidence in the government, while many
\nothers were pessimistic a clean and democratic government would
\nbe formed.<\/p>\n
In the 1999 general election, the polls failed in several
\nregions because residents were angered by the lack of serious
\naction on the part of the government to settle the problems in
\nAceh fairly and comprehensively.<\/p>\n
After almost a year of martial law in Aceh, security and order
\nin the province has improved, with thousands of suspected rebels
\nkilled and thousands of others arrested.<\/p>\n
However, improvements in security have not been followed by
\nthe necessary steps to resettle refugees, try human rights
\nabusers and implement emergency programs to improve the welfare
\nof the people.<\/p>\n
The government declared martial law on May 19, 2003, with a
\nbudget of Rp 1.3 trillion for six months. Martial law was then
\nextended for an additional six months last October.<\/p>\n
In a visit to Aceh on Sunday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nproposed downgrading the martial law to a civilian emergency
\nsituation in May, if conditions were right.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the situation in the province was gradually
\nreturning to normal, but that did not mean martial law would
\nnecessarily be lifted immediately.<\/p>\n
He added that the President had not yet called him for a
\nbriefing on the progress in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Endriartono warned that despite the advances that had been
\nmade, the separatist movement could come back stronger than
\nbefore.<\/p>\n
"We should continue to work to root them out, otherwise they
\nwill wake up and launch a more aggressive resistance," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tni-prioritizes-security-in-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}