Aceh gets new military chief

Aceh gets new military chief

The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu installed Maj. Gen.
Endang Surwarya as the new Iskandar Muda (Aceh) military
commander during a ceremony here on Tuesday.

Endang replaces Maj. Gen. M. Djali Jusuf, who has been
appointed expert staff coordinator to the Indonesian Military
(TNI) commander. A 1973 graduate, Endang was formerly chief of
staff.

Endang's appointment comes as tension mounts ahead of what
appears to be imminent war with Free Aceh Movement separatists
after the collapse of a peace deal between the rebels and the
government.

Sources told The Jakarta Post that Endang was expected to be
tougher with GAM than his predecessor. The source claimed Endang
was respected by the Acehnese for his fairness.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is expected to issue a
presidential instruction giving the go ahead for war after talks
with the House of Representatives, slated for Thursday.

The presidential instruction will place Endang in command of
around 50,000 security personnel.

At present Aceh has around 23,000 security personnel,
including 7,350 members of the Army attached to the Iskandar Muda
Military Command, around 9,000 members of the National Police,
828 members of the Air Force and around 1,200 from the Navy. The
rest are troops seconded to the command on a rotation basis.

Ryamizard said the large number of troops was necessary to
protect the people living in villages from rebel attacks, to
safeguard vital facilities such as the ExxonMobil facilities in
Arun, Lhokseumawe, and to protect logistics lines.

"There are so many villages here and all need our protection.
We also need troops to protect the logistic line from Medan to
Aceh, not to mention the around 10 battalions tasked with
protecting the vital facilities," Ryamizard said in an interview
with The Jakarta Post.

"Only one-fourth of the total number of troops are mobile," he
said.

Ryamizard gave assurances to the Acehnese that the military's
presence in the province was to help protect the people.

"I admit there are still violations by troops and for that, I
apologize," he said in a ceremony at the Iskandar Muda Military
headquarters.

Ryamizard urged Acehnese to honor their pledge for a united
Indonesia.

"In 1928 Indonesian youths, including Acehnese, pledged for
one homeland, one nation and one language, that of Indonesia.
That is a pledge that we all, including Acehnese, must honor,"
said Ryamizard.