Account on Aceh's martial law urged

Account on Aceh's martial law urged

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta

Political observers have called on the government to release the
accountability report of the one-year martial law and integrated
military operation in Aceh, which cost over Rp 2 trillion
(US$229.8 million).

Besides questioning the success of the military offensive,
they also expressed skepticism about the viability of the state
of civil emergency, because the civilian administration had lost
confidence of people in the province.

Military analyst Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) and Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS) said on separate occasions on
Friday that from the perspective of ethics, President Megawati
Soekarnoputri had an obligation to present her accountability
report before the People's Consultative Assembly, as she had
received approval from the House of Representatives to impose
martial law on Aceh.

"Whether (she is) requested or not, the President should
present a special report on the one-year martial law and its
achievements to the law-making body or the public through the
mass media to make it accountable and transparent," Indria told
The Jakarta Post.

He regretted that the President appeared reluctant to unveil
an accountability report publicly or to instruct a minister or
the Indonesian Military (TNI) leadership to do so before the
House.

"Both TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and National
Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar have been silent on the huge
funds used during the martial law in Aceh," he said.

Megawati consulted House leaders before she imposed martial
law on May 19, 2003, although the law does not require such a
procedure.

Kusnanto said the martial law and the military operation that
involved over 40,000 security personnel and sophisticated war
machines could not be called a success, since the threat of the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) still existed and its leaders remained
at large, while most of its weapons had not been confiscated.

"This means that despite the relatively calm situation at
present, Aceh could turn tense since the remaining GAM forces --
which is likely dormant -- are regrouping to resume their
separatist movement some time in the future," he said.

Unlike Indria, Kusnanto said the military operation played a
more dominant role during the martial law than the humanitarian
and social rehabilitation operations to improve the Acehnese
people's welfare.

"Despite the decline in Aceh's status to a state of civil
emergency, there will be no changes because there is no clear
guidelines as to the chain of command between the civilian
administration and the military. Besides, the Acehnese people
will continue living in fear since the military operation is
still going on," said Kusnanto.

Indria suggested that the House ask for the government's
accountability report on the martial law, but they seemed
uninterested "because most of them will finish their terms in
October".

"The President apparently considers the Aceh problem among
peripheral issues while she concentrates on the July 5
presidential election," he added.

Djoko Susilo, a member of the House Commission I on security,
defense and foreign affairs, said the government had already
unveiled its account on the martial law in Aceh before the House,
but that it had been conducted as a closed-door session so the
public remained uniformed about the assessment.

Kusnanto said the President should immediately issue a
presidential instruction with certain targets to regulate civil-
military ties during the first six months of the state of civil
emergency.

"Besides which, the government should continue the social
rehabilitation operation to resettle displaced people, provide
compensation to those whose families were killed during the
military conflict, uphold social justice and resume a dialog with
the rebels in an attempt to seek a comprehensive solution to the
Aceh issue," he said.