Aceh waters closed to foreign ships

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The martial law administrator in Aceh has decided to close off Aceh waters to foreign ships, but has failed to communicate the move to the public.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh called on the authorities in Aceh on Tuesday to announce the policy publicly.

"It would be better if the government issued an official statement that Aceh waters are out-of-bounds," Bernard was quoted by Antara as saying on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, an oil tanker flying a Panamanian flag was arrested at Sabang port on Weh Island following the issuance of a decree banning foreign ships and boats from operating in Aceh's territorial waters.

Bernard reminded the government that it should make the decree public and ensure that every country in the world was well- informed about it so that no innocent parties was suffer loss.

He said the Navy's warships were ready to implement the decision, and that they would fire on any foreign vessels entering Aceh waters without prior notice.

Foreign vessels that could be subject to the shoot-on-site policy were those that trespassed into Aceh's 12-mile territorial waters, Bernard explained.

Bernard said the policy was justified as the government was allowed by the International Law of the Sea to make such a move. He also said that the government could issue a subsequent announcement on the reasons behind the move.

Bernard's comments came after a statement by Aceh martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya that he, representing the central government, had placed Aceh waters out-of-bounds to foreign vessels.

The reason behind the decision was not stated, but the government has long suspected the Acehnese rebels of smuggling weapons from Thailand and Malaysia.

The decision may also be designed to prevent GAM members from fleeing Aceh, where rebels have being fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976. At least 10,000 people have been killed since then.

Bernard said his warships had detained around 100 vessels, some of them loaded with weapons, around one month before martial law was declared in Aceh on May 19.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Mudhakir, a senior officer responsible for ensuring the security of vital projects around the country, said ships belonging to energy companies in Aceh were not affected by the policy.

Aceh is home to several large energy firms, such as giant oil and gas company PT Exxon-Mobil Oil Indonesian and gas processing firm PT Arun NGL.

Meanwhile on the front line, firefights between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and GAM members are still frequent. A company of TNI soldiers, for example, was involved in an armed clash with GAM members in Sungai Raya subdistrict in East Aceh on Tuesday, and three GAM members were reportedly killed in the incident.

In North Sumatra, police arrested four suspected GAM members and 11 Acehnese without identity cards as they crossed into Secanggang district in Langkat regency on Tuesday.

The four were identified as M. Jusuf, deputy chairman of GAM, and GAM members M. Daud Dahlan, Abdullah alias Agam, and Arbaim.

"The four GAM members are being detained, while the 11 others are required to report to the authorities regularly," said Langkat detectives' chief, First Insp. M. Dhadapy Marpaung.

The frequent armed clashes, together with the presence of snipers, have paralyzed transportation in Aceh, especially from the North Aceh town of Lhokseumawe to the capital Banda Aceh.

Several drivers, who were interviewed by Antara on Tuesday, said they were afraid of being targeted by snipers.

"If the military is willing to provide escorts, then we will resume our services," a driver said.

There have been four gun attacks targeting public transportation vehicles, and more than 10 public transportation vehicles have been torched.

The TNI, through its spokesman at the front, Lt. Col. Yani Basuki, accused GAM of responsibility for the arson and attacks.

Back in Jakarta, the Ministry of Health claimed on Tuesday that it had sent medical assistance for refugees in Aceh amounting to Rp 50 billion.

The funds were taken from the ministry's budget for refugees this year, which amounts to a total of Rp 150 billion, said Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi.