Aceh govt to screen state employees for loyalty
Aceh govt to screen state employees for loyalty
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Aceh provincial administration's plan to screen 67,000 civil
servants and "severely punish" those found to support the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) has sparked criticism.
Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) head
Hendardi said the screening was absolutely unnecessary as it
would disrupt government attempts to win the hearts and minds of
the Acehnese.
"The government will emulate the New Order regime, which was
trying to weed out people allegedly linked to the Indonesian
Communist Party (PKI) from the bureaucracy," Hendardi said on
Tuesday.
The government should instead allow the Acehnese to seek
justice for human rights violations perpetrated by the military
in the past, Hendardi said.
"Ensuring that justice is upheld is the main requirement to
win the hearts and minds of Acehnese after the government allowed
them to implement Islamic syariah law and granted special
autonomy status.
"Without justice the government will never win Acehnese
hearts."
He said the process would only divide the Acehnese and
intensify suspicion between them.
After the abortive coup blamed on the PKI in 1965, the New
Order government adopted a screening process, which was mandatory
for those applying for positions in the bureaucracy, the
military, the police and other state institutions. Those seeking
promotion were also subjected to the examination, which aimed to
trace links, directly or indirectly, to the now defunct party.
The central government on Tuesday expressed support for the
process, which aimed to rid the bureaucracy of GAM sympathizers
or supporters.
State Minister of Administrative Reform Feisal Tamin said the
screening process would be based on fact instead of prejudice in
order to avoid repeating past human rights violations.
"It means that if certain civil servants are linked to GAM,
the allegations must be supported by solid evidence, not
presumptions."
Feisal said witnesses would be needed to bring charges against
alleged GAM supporters.
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh said Monday that he had ordered
that 67,000 civil servants in the province be screened due to
suspicion that many supported or aided GAM.
Puteh said the screening was necessary to find out whether the
civil servants were loyal to the unitary state of Indonesia.
"Those who have an unclear stance or support GAM will be given
severe punishment," he said.
Feisal said the screening would be conducted carefully as
civil servants were sometimes forced by GAM to support the
separatist movement.
"In a conflict situation, some people are frightened by
physical threats so they may have no choice but to support GAM.
But of course there are people that intentionally support GAM."
He claimed that those forced to support GAM would escape
punishment.
The central government has sent two senior officials to Aceh
in connection with the implementation of the screening.