Aceh governor asks for military to pull out

JAKARTA (JP): Aceh Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud has written to President B.J. Habibie asking for the Armed Forces (ABRI) to withdraw its troops from the westernmost province and that its status as a military operations area be lifted.

Antara quoted spokesman Natsir Ali as saying in the capital Banda Aceh yesterday that copies of the letter, dated July 29, had also been sent to the House speaker, coordinating minister for political affairs and security, minister of home affairs, and minister of defense/Armed Forces commander.

The request was made, Syamsuddin reportedly said, because of the growing demand by Acehnese that the status be revoked as the military presence has led to public fear.

Now that the security situation is improving and development programs proceeding fairly well, the presence of troops from outside Aceh is felt to be disturbing "because of actions which only cause the public to feel unsafe."

The status of military operations area, formally known as Red Net Operation, had been abused by individuals or units of the military to commit "excesses" which were against the soldiers' oath, Syamsuddin said.

"If this situation continued, the Acehnese people would always be haunted by fear and insecurity," he said. "This is what has led the people's demand that the status be revoked."

Aceh, Irian Jaya and East Timor are all military operations areas. The status enables the army to facilitate the suppression of separatism in the three provinces.

Syamsuddin explained in his letter that the status of military operations area was first slapped on Aceh in 1991 following outbreaks of armed rebellions by groups later labeled a Security Disturbances Group (GPK). The areas of rebellion expanded from Aceh Utara to Aceh Timur and Pidie regencies.

In 1991, a group seized 21 weapons and killed 20 ABRI personnel engaged in a public service operation. Concerned, the then governor, Ibrahim Hasan, asked then president Soeharto to deploy extra military forces in the area to restore security and to turn it into a military operations area.

Syamsuddin did not say how many troops were still deployed in Aceh.

In June, the National Commission on Human Rights promised to investigate reports that more than 39,000 Acehnese have died in military operations over the past decade and that 1,000 others are still in military detention in the province. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also reported torture and sadistic murders.

A group of legislators are currently in Aceh to investigate reports of disappearances of people over the past ten years and of military abuse of locals suspected of involvement in secessionist movements.

Led by Hari Sabarno of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, the group met with people who claimed to be survivors of military abuse, or whose relatives disappeared in military operations. The group, however, failed to meet with 14 political prisoners in Lhokseumawe prison, Aceh Utara.

The prisoners refused to meet with the legislators individually, Antara said, insisting they speak as a group.

The Armed Forces had admitted that some people died as the side effects of the military operations. (swe)