Wiranto in media hot seat over Aceh<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At the opening of a seminar on state defense on
\nTuesday, Minister of Defense and Security\/Indonesian Military
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto faced a barrage of questions from the
\nmedia on the current military policy and the incidents in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Question: What is the relevance of the seminar on state defense?<\/p>\n
Answer: The people, the one important component in the
\nintegrated state defense system, have become a serious problem
\nsince they are now attacking one another. The people have become
\na part of the problem, not part of the solution.<\/p>\n
According to the 1945 Constitution and the 1982 Law on Defense
\nand Security, the Military and National Police, the people and
\nnatural resources should constitute an integrated state defense
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
The fact that part of the people are launching a rebellion and
\nwant a separation from the Indonesian state is a form of betrayal
\nto the integrated system.<\/p>\n
That is why many figures from the military, the academia and
\nothers of the intellectual circle are attending the seminar. They
\nare expected to come up with necessary approaches and a way out
\nto improve public awareness in state defense.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the government doing to improve awareness in state
\ndefense among people in troubled regions in Aceh, Ambon and
\nBatam, Riau?<\/p>\n
A: This seminar is expected to make recommendations to answer
\nthat question.<\/p>\n
Q: Is the Free Aceh separatist group a threat to state defense?<\/p>\n
A: You can answer that yourselves. There is a group of people in
\nthe province who are raising armed resistance against the
\nlegitimate government.<\/p>\n
What would we attack one another for? We should be united in
\nfacing the threats coming from outside.<\/p>\n
Q: What is your comment on accusations that the military should
\nbe held responsible for the July 23 bloodshed in Beutong Ateuh,
\nWest Aceh?<\/p>\n
A: Who accused the military?<\/p>\n
Q: The Acehnese...<\/p>\n
A: Which of them? According to me, the incident was a betrayal
\nof a system, namely the national state defense system, causing a
\ntrade of accusations and blame. Under such a situation, we will
\nnot be able to solve the problem.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred when security personnel launched a raid
\nin the form of a military operation. Armed contact occurred
\nbetween security personnel with gunmen, claiming lives.<\/p>\n
There was no mass killing or atrocity in the incident.<\/p>\n
It is not fair if it is said that the military launched a
\nmassacre. I want fair exposure from the media. The media should
\nreport the reality.<\/p>\n
I have repeatedly said that security personnel from the
\nNational Police which were deployed to the province were trained
\nin accordance with standards to prevent them from committing an
\nerroneous procedure in the operation. If security personnel made
\nerrors in the operation, they could be tried in a (military)
\ntribunal. It is not fair to conclude that the operation was
\ncompletely wrong.<\/p>\n
We should trust the independent team (newly appointed by the
\npresident) to investigate the incident.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you mean that Tengku Bantaqiyah (alleged separate leader in
\nBeutong Ateuh) and his men were armed?<\/p>\n
A: I will invite you for a field tour of the incident. (The
\nmilitary has said it found several weapons on the site as
\nevidence of armed resistance). (rms)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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