Aceh offered to vote on Islamic law, not separation

JAKARTA (JP): The government has agreed to hold a referendum in Aceh, but it is limited to a vote on whether to adopt Islamic Law in the province, Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said on Monday.

The option for a separate state is not on the cards, Juwono said in the first official elaboration of President Abdurrahman Wahid's referendum offer for the restive province.

"Last I heard from Pak President, and something which has not yet been announced by the coordinating minister for political and security affairs, is that the only referendum he (the President) wants is whether or not to enact Islamic law in Aceh," Juwono said.

"That is all," he said during a working session with the House of Representatives' Commission I on defense and foreign affairs.

Abdurrahman has said on several occasions that he supported the demand for a referendum in Aceh, but has never elaborated on the options to be given to the people.

Most Acehnese had assumed that the options included a vote for widespread autonomy, a separate state or to remain part of Indonesia under a federal system of government.

The President, who left Jakarta on a four-day Middle East tour on Monday, has been criticized by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the House of Representatives for supporting the referendum demand in Aceh. They feared that the move would set a precedent for other provinces to make similar demands.

Juwono said several Acehnese figures, including representatives of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) who have met the President, agreed most people in Aceh were demanding the introduction of Islamic law in the province.

Antigovernment activities have intensified in Aceh since a decade of military operations to quell separatist movements was abandoned in August last year. Many believe human rights abuses were rampant during the operations, sowing the seeds of resentment against Jakarta.

The government has attempted to ease the animosity among Acehnese, including promising trials for those involved in past atrocities in the province.

TNI chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soegiono said in Tanjung Pinang, Riau, on Monday that 178 military personnel had been punished after being found guilty of crimes against humanity during military operations in Aceh. Many of them have been dismissed, according to Soegiono.

"We do not apply a hands off approach, but take measures against guilty TNI members even without the public's knowledge," Soegiono told Antara after opening a sea defense exercise organized by the Navy's Western Base.

He welcomed the growing demands to bring military personnel accused of perpetrating human rights violations in Aceh to justice, but warned against one-sided trials.

"In fact, the TNI and National Police have also fallen victim to violence in Aceh, which has left 87 soldiers dead and 110 wounded," he said.

Meanwhile, two police officers and four civilians were found dead in Ujung Tanah village in South Aceh over the weekend, with either gunshot or severe stab wounds.

The remains of First Sgt. Riadi Situmorang, 38, and First Sgt. Silfiadi Saragih, 39, were found half-buried on Sunday in a swamp at the village, police said Monday.

"Both officers were abducted by an unidentified armed gang on Nov. 9 in Pante Geulima village, Labuhan Haji regency. Their throats had been slit," said South Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Teuku Dourman.

Two more unidentified bodies were also found at the swamp, he said. "And up to now 10 police officers are still missing since they were kidnapped by an unidentified gang in South Aceh six months ago," Dourman added.

Head of Tapaktuan General Hospital T.M. Thaib revealed on Monday that based on postmortem examinations, the four victims were probably killed four to five days before their bodies were found on Sunday.

Back in Jakarta, the House of Representatives special team for Aceh announced on Monday it would write to President Abdurrahman Wahid to ask him to follow up the People's Consultative Assembly decree on Aceh's special autonomy status.

During the meeting, the first comprising mostly Acehnese House members, some team members suggested several former and current TNI top brass be summoned for a hearing on military policies on Aceh. (02/50/edt/byg)