Critics question why military still in Aceh

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Critics questioned on Friday the government's failure to order the withdrawal of military troops from Aceh despite lifting the state of civil emergency, a decision they deemed a compromise.

Henri Simarmata, a researcher at the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), said the lifting of the emergency status would enable Acehnese to have a normal life after years of armed conflict.

But he insisted that lifting the state of emergency should also entail the police maintaining security and order, not the military.

"We consider it an effort by the President to control the military, and we must admit that he's still unable to control the military," Henri said, referring to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The military has since 1976 been fighting Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, who have demanded an independence state for the resource-rich province.

Currently, there are 39,000 military troops on duty in Aceh. The figure accounts for over 15 percent of Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers.

Henri said returning Aceh to civil order would significantly help the reconstruction and rehabilitation process, which involves both domestic and foreign groups and multibillion dollar projects.

Civil order may also boost the ongoing peace talks in Helsinki, which are aimed at ending the conflict in Aceh permanently.

"The settlement of problems in Aceh, including the armed conflict, will be a credit for Susilo in the eyes of international community," Henri said.

Susilo's inability to control the TNI has given him no choice but to extend the military operation to flush out separatist rebels in Aceh, Henri added.

"The law enables the deployment of military troops upon the request of a civilian administration," Henri said.

He warned, however, the ambiguity would not help reduce human rights violations despite the new status.

Former legislator Gazhali Abbas Adnan concurred, saying the government should not lift the state of emergency in Aceh without the establishment of "a strong and respected civilian administration".

"What is the point of lifting the emergency in Aceh without giving full authority to the civilian administration?" he said.

A strong and respected civilian administration in Aceh is mandatory to manage both civilians and troops in the province, the Acehnese man said.

Separately, a GAM fighter said the guerrillas would obey all orders issued by their top political leaders, including to resist the offensive by the Indonesian Military.

Teungku Kafrawi, GAM spokesman overseeing Peureulak in East Aceh, accused the military of changing its offensive operation to an intelligence operation early this year.

"Based on our investigation, Indonesian intelligence officers have been deployed to some schools here to monitor whether students and teachers have been influenced by our movement. They also tortured several teenagers for alleged espionage activities," Kafrawi told the Post.

Iskandar Muda Military Commander Maj. Gen. Supiadin A.S. told Antara that the military had been intensifying intelligence operations to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in Aceh.