Activists criticize latest TNI moves
Activists criticize latest TNI moves
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Human rights activists criticized on Friday the Indonesian
Military (TNI)'s recent promotion of senior Army officers close
to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and several allegedly
linked to human rights violations.
They said the promotions were a setback to TNI's reform
efforts.
The activists pointed to the appointment of current Iskandar
Muda Military Command head Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya, who leads
the military operation to crush separatist rebels in Aceh, as the
Army's new deputy chief of staff.
Rusdi Marpaung of rights watchdog Imparsial accused Endang of
creating a "horizontal conflict" in Aceh during two years of
military operations since 2003. He alleged that Endang had
ordered the marking of houses belonging to families and relatives
of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members and branded them "public
enemies".
He was referring to the military's policy of marking with red
paint the houses of anyone linked to GAM rebels.
This policy violates the 1949 Geneva convention, which says
military offensives must not target civilians or public buildings
such as houses, mosques and cultural centers, Rusdi said.
"It was under Endang Suwarya's command that no fewer than 663
Acehnese civilians were killed," he said.
Acehnese sociologist Otto Syamsuddin Ishak from Syahkuala
University said Endang's branding of the relatives of GAM members
as "public enemies" had caused social disintegration among the
Acehnese.
He said this policy resulted in even Acehnese children to be
considered enemies of the state and society.
This so-called isolation policy has hurt civilians because
they are obliged to report daily to the nearest military post or
face sanctions, Otto said.
"If a military man like Endang -- who lacks sensitivity and
has systematically destroyed the social structure of Aceh -- is
promoted to a three-star Army general, I think there is no hope
for the country to stop the various rights abuses in Aceh and
other conflict areas," he said.
In a round of promotions announced on Wednesday, Endang was
named the Army's deputy chief of staff. His position as chief of
the Iskandar Muda Military Command will be taken over by Maj.
Gen. Syafiuddin Yusuf, the current head of the Udayana Military
Command overseeing West Nusa Tenggara and Bali.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's brothers-in-law, Brig.
Gen. Pramono Eddy Wibowo, was appointed deputy commander of the
Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), while Maj. Gen. Erwin Sudjono
was named to head the Tanjung Pura Military Command overseeing
Kalimantan.
Current TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will
reportedly be made a three-star Army general, and there are
rumors he will be made the new secretary-general of the defense
ministry.
"We cannot ignore the fact that Sjafrie allegedly played a key
role in many rights abuses, ranging from East Timor, the 10-year
military operation in Aceh known as DOM, the 1998 shootings at
Trisakti University and the May riots," Otto said.
Responding to the criticism, Sjafrie said: "Everybody has the
right to express their opinions. Let them talk, but I will remain
silent."