Acehnese want military out

Teuku Agam Muzakir, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

Acehnese people appear to have no choice but to allow the government to extend martial law in their province, but hopes abound the military approach will end.

The Acehnese people said they were afraid the use of military force would only increase the number of civilian casualties.

Muhammad Nazar, 30, admitted that during the nearly six-month- long military offensive against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, people in urban areas had managed to enjoy a normal life, but the situation was in a stark contrast to that in rural areas, where residents have experience continued violence.

"Villagers in remote hamlets have been suffering too much and peace seems so far away from them, especially when gunfights take place near their residences. Some of them are even missing," he said.

Nazar, an employee of a private company who lives in Kampung Jawa in Lhokseumawe, said the extension of martial law could be unavoidable but the militaristic approach was no longer tolerable.

"If the government insists on maintaining martial law here, please stop using a military approach," he said.

On Monday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet will discuss the possibility of extending martial law, which is due to expire on Nov. 19.

Some government and military officials say the extension is needed to enable the Acehnese to exercise their right to vote in the elections of legislative members and the president next year.

On May 19, Megawati issued a decree that stipulates the imposition of martial law in the natural resources rich province for an extendible period of six months.

Martial law was initially imposed to allow for a combined military offensive, humanitarian mission, empowerment of local administration and law enforcement.

Nuraini, 28, a Banda Aceh resident, said she did not mind if the government decided to extend martial law. She added, however, that innocent people should no longer fall victims to the conflict.

Nearly 1,000 suspected GAM members have been killed since martial law came into effect.

The National Commission of Human Rights has recommended an end to martial law after its fact-finding team discovered the military operation was prone to human rights abuses against civilians.

The team, chaired by M.M. Billah, said it found extrajudicial killings and extrajudicial executions during its six visits to Aceh since the inception of martial law.

Despite the big number of GAM members captured, the military thus far has confiscated only 363 weapons from the rebels, fueling speculation that government troops might have targeted non-combatants.

Thus far, 304 civilians have been killed and 140 others injured during the period. Some 151 civilians, including television journalists Ersa Siregar and Ferry Santoro, are being held hostage by GAM rebels for alleged espionage.

The military has lost 67 soldiers after the death of an Army soldier late Friday. The soldier was killed and three of his colleagues wounded during a firefight with GAM rebels in the Banda Alam area of East Aceh, according to military spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki.

Separately, House of Representatives Commission I on political and security affairs chairman Ibrahim Ambong said the lawmakers threw their weight behind the government's intention to extend martial law.

He said the commission would convene to respond to the demands from the Aceh government, legislature and community figures to keep martial law intact.

Security conditions in Aceh would improve under martial law in line with people's expectations, Ibrahim said, as quoted by Antara.

He said the House had approved the government's proposal for an additional Rp 1 trillion (US$117.6 million) to finance the military operation in Aceh. The first six months of operations would cost the state Rp 1.4 trillion, taken from emergency funds.