Critics question why military still in Aceh

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.