Aceh military command reinstated

Ibnu Mat Noor and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Jakarta

Disregarding vehement opposition from human rights activists and Acehnese people, the military officially restored on Tuesday the Iskandar Muda Military Command in Aceh, appointing current head of military operations Brig. Gen. M. Djali Yusuf as its first commander.

Rights groups have long warned that the revived command would only exacerbate violence in Aceh where more than 1,700 people were killed last year alone and at least 200 people have already died in 2002.

The critics have also said that the move contradicted the military's plans to disband area-specific military commands across the archipelago over the next decade.

The revival of the Aceh Military Command (Kodam) also took place just two days after the government and separatist leaders from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) ended two days of peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, in which both sides agreed to reduce violence in the restive province.

"I hope the revival of the Iskandar Muda Military Command will help bring Acehnese people out of the current prolonged state of insecurity," Army Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said after officially reinstating the Aceh Kodam in Banda Aceh on Monday.

Also present at the ceremony, which was held at the former headquarters of the disbanded military command, included Army's Strategic Reserves (Kostrad) Commander Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, Army Special Forces (Kopassus) Commander Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini, Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen. I.G. Purnawa and head of the Aceh Legislative Council (DPRD) Tengku Muhammad Yus.

During the ceremony, Endriartono also conferred special promotion badges upon 20 soldiers who participated in a military operation that resulted in the death of GAM military commander Abdullah Syafi'ie on Jan. 22.

Endriartono said armed conflicts in the country's westernmost province had ruined the futures of Acehnese children as many of them had lost their parents and were forced to lead miserable lives.

"This unfortunate situation should be halted as soon as possible," he said, adding that the revival of the Aceh Kodam was part of efforts to rectify injustices and wrongdoings committed by previous regimes.

Endriartono urged troops stationed there to exercise restraint and end violence. "Change your weapons to shovels, tractors and wood to bring about prosperity to Acehnese people," he said.

Human rights activists and Acehnese people have expressed opposition to the military command's revival for fear of more human rights violations in the restive province, where GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) founder Munir said on Tuesday that the reinstatement of the military command in Aceh would trigger an escalation of violence as additional troops will be deployed to the area.

"New battalions will be formed as a consequence of the re- establishment of Kodam. There could be more victims than when the province was put under the military operation area (from 1989 to 1998)," Munir told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

According to newly installed Aceh Military Commander Brig. Gen. Muhammad Djali Yusuf, there are currently 16,700 troops in Aceh.

Secretary General of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Asmara Nababan warned on Tuesday that the revival of the Aceh Kodam would backfire as it could bolster resentment among Acehnese and fuel their desire to for independence from Indonesia.

"Apparently we haven't learned from past mistakes such as during the military operations from 1989 - 1998 and East Timor, because we persist with this kind of militaristic approach," Asmara said.

The military command would also trigger a cycle of violence between Indonesian troops and GAM while the number of casualties would continue to rise in the area, he said.

"A military command might be able to suppress GAM, but it will not help win the hearts and minds of the Acehnese," he said.

Most residents in Aceh refused to comment on Tuesday on the revival of Kodam Aceh.

"We don't care if the military command is revived or not. What is important for us is to earn a living," said a pedicab driver in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

Defense Minister Matori Abdul Djalil, however, dismissed opposition to the revival of Aceh Kodam, and said that the House of Representatives and especially House Commission I, which was in charge of foreign policy and defense issues, had already given its approval.

"Legislators have shown their support, they are the representatives of the people," he said on the sidelines of a House hearing on Tuesday.

Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly Amien Rais noted that the revival of Aceh Kodam was a national policy resulting from a series of consultation meetings.

"All that we can do now is that we must make the best out of it," Amien said.

The Iskandar Muda military command was first formed in 1956 but it was disbanded in 1985 for efficiency reasons. After 1985, military operations in the restive province had been coordinated from the Bukit Barisan Military Command in Medan, North Sumatra province.