1,850 troops set for Aceh
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) will soon dispatch at least 1,850 replacement troops to the rebellious Aceh province, Deputy Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Kiki Syahnakrie said on Saturday.
The force, scheduled to depart for Aceh early in April, will consist of 125 Marines and 100 elite Air Force personnel, with the rest of the troops coming from the Army, including 12 companies of search-and-destroy personnel, he said.
Kiki said the troops had just completed special training on technical skills and combat tactics in Cipatat, Bandung, and Cilacap, Central Java. The training began on March 4 and ended on Saturday.
"The training was to prepare and improve the antiguerrilla operational capabilities of Army hunters assigned for duty in Aceh," Kiki was quoted by Antara as telling journalists after officially closing the training in Cipatat, Bandung.
Earlier on Saturday, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said more than 42,000 troops had been assigned to trouble spots around the country, including Irian Jaya and Maluku, with almost half this number being sent to Aceh.
From April 2001 to March 2002, at least 122 military and police personnel have been killed and 411 injured in Aceh, he said as quoted by Antara. Four others went missing and two were kidnapped, according to Sjafrie.
He also said at least 736 separatist rebels were killed in gunfights and 292 others arrested during this same period, while 621 civilians died.
From Feb. 10 to March 12 alone, at least 66 rebels, 17 police officers and military soldiers, and 44 civilians were killed in Aceh, he added.
In a speech read by Kiki during Saturday's ceremony, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto asked the soldiers to maintain the toughness and enthusiasm in Aceh that they showed during their training.
"(We do not want) anymore victims in the operational region due to the poor skills and professionalism of soldiers," the speech said.
He also asked the troops to remain strong and to adjust to the environment during their tour in Aceh.
"As chosen soldiers, use the trust (shown you) as motivation to carry out your duties to defend the nation and country with proud actions.
"But the tactical and technical skills you possess in guerrilla warfare will be meaningless should the local people not support you," he said.
The Army chief also warned the troops against committing human rights abuses in Aceh.
The military and police have been accused of widespread human rights violations in the province and other trouble regions across the country. However, no senior officer has been charged with rights abuses in Aceh.
Kiki said separatist fighting was intensifying in at least four regions in Aceh -- North Aceh, Bireun, Pidie and East Aceh -- and that the areas required special handling from the authorities.
"The security situation in the four regions is not as good as in other (regions), so more troop deployments are needed there," he said.
"Nevertheless, the security in those areas is better now than it was last year," he added.
The central government has granted wide-ranging autonomy to the rebellious province, including the enforcement of Islamic law, or syariah.
However, the special autonomy status has not appeased the Free Aceh Movement, which has long been campaigning for an independent Islamic state in Aceh.