Aceh military operation

Aceh military operation

What have we achieved from the one-month-old integrated
operation in Aceh? Evaluating the operation, Indonesian Military
(TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said last Thursday that as
regards the quantitative achievements, the body count and the
occupation of (former) strongholds of the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) could be used as the indicators of success or failure.

Let's go back to the Vietnam war in 1975 when more than 5
million Vietnamese, many guerrillas, were killed. To distinguish
guerrillas from civilians, the U.S. Army established hundreds of
strategic hamlets. However, all the killing and strategic hamlets
failed dismally.

It is interesting to review the qualitative achievements
claimed by Gen. Endriartono, who said that the Acehnese
(civilians) now had the courage to resist GAM and help the
military by providing information about GAM members' whereabouts.

Now that these qualitative achievements have been gained, why
is it necessary to prolong the military operation?

--Koran Tempo, Jakarta