Appeal against Army plan in Aceh falls of deaf ears

Annastashya Emmanuelle and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pressures mounted on Tuesday against the planned reinstatement of the military command in restive Aceh, but both the government and the House of Representatives turned a deaf ear to the outcry.

In the latest move to foil the plan, a group of human rights activists and political experts went to the House to remind both the legislative and executive branches of the loss of thousands of lives while the military operation was in effect from 1989 to 1998.

Data collected by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) revealed that during 2001 alone, 851 civilians were killed and hundreds others injured despite the current operation "to restore peace and order".

Kontras founder Munir criticized the government for ignoring the calls by Acehnese people to bring to justice those members of the military and other organizations involved in past human rights abuses.

"People have been demanding justice in Aceh, so, why does the government insist on reviving the military command?" Munir asked the 10 members of House Commission I for defense affairs.

Instead of appreciating the group's concern, the legislators prevented Munir from detailing the problematic activities resulting from the presence of the military in Aceh.

"In this session, we will talk about the plan to revive the military command. Let's focus on that matter," said Isaac Latuconsina, the Military legislator who presided over the hearing.

Rizal Sukma of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) added that he did not believe a militaristic approach would resolve the conflict in Aceh.

He said the real problem facing Indonesia currently which the military could help solve, was not related to internal threats, but other issues such as sea piracy, illegal fishing and illegal logging.

The idea to reinstate the military command was originally raised by Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh several weeks ago. At a cabinet meeting last week, the government instantly extended support to that idea.

Meanwhile, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has instructed the military chief and the defense minister to make final preparations for the reestablishment of the military command in Aceh.

The government found it necessary to reinstate the Iskandar Muda military command to combat internal threats, such as the armed separatist movement currently in Aceh, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil said after a ministerial meeting on Tuesday.

"We decided to reestablish the Iskandar Muda military command. The President has ordered the Defense Minister and the military chief to make the necessary preparations," he said in a press conference after a political and security meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs.

The date for the reinstatement has yet to be set, but Matori said the plan would be implemented "as soon as possible".

Matori dismissed Acehnese opposition to Iskandar Muda, saying that it is entirely the central government's authority to establish defense, law, foreign relations as well as monetary policies under the special autonomy status now in effect in Aceh.

Kusnanto Anggoro, analyst on military affairs also expressed outright rejection to the plan.

In response to earlier statements that the decision was based on Acehnese aspirations, he said that "this is not true."

"I suspect a collusion involving Governor Abdullah Puteh and the Aceh provincial legislative council.

"What the Acehnese may refer to their needs of security may be different from what a military command, in the form of which we know, implies."

He added that to ensure security, "I agree with the deployment of the military where necessary, but a Kodam in the form of a permanent structure is in principle wrong."

The concepts of having provincial military commands "are against principles of a democratic country."