Does Aceh need a military command?

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The planned revival of a military command in the war-torn province of Aceh has caused controversy among the people of Aceh. It has won support from the local elite, met strong opposition from prodemocracy non-governmental organizations and students, and raised deep anxiety among the majority of Acehnese.

Members of the local elite have thrown their weight behind a plan to give more power to the government and security authorities in the hope of restoring order and solving the prolonged conflict in the westernmost province.

Nasir Jamil, a member of the provincial legislature's Commission A on defense and security, understood the government's plan to revive Iskandar Muda Military Command, which was dissolved in 1985 because, in addition to security reasons, it was stipulated under the regional autonomy law.

"With the revival of the military command, the military will have full control of defense and security matters in the province, which is expected to help the government seek a comprehensive solution to the conflict," he told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.

Governor Abdullah Puteh agreed that the military would be able to strengthen its territorial function to tackle numerous security problems in the province.

The military's territorial function sparked sharp criticism from local and foreign observers when it was abused during the Soeharto era to run the former president's repressive administration and support the once-ruling Golkar party. The military also abused its territorial function to maintain its hold on strategic civilian positions in the administration.

According to Puteh, all combat soldiers deployed in the ongoing military operation in the province should be pulled out after the military command is revived.

However, the local elite has yet to learn that the ongoing military operation, which has deployed 15 battalions of combat soldiers and Police Mobile Brigade, is similar to a military command. The current operation lead by an Army brigadier general has also deployed heavy military equipment such as tanks, modern firearms and elite forces similar to military commands in other provinces.

Brig. Gen. M. Djali Jusuf, commander of the military operation in Aceh, insisted the military would not withdraw those soldiers already stationed there as well as all the military equipment that has been deployed to launch the operation should the military command be revived.

Hussaini Ibrahim, a historian from Syah Kuala University in the city, admitted that he had had many discussions on the proposal with many sides in the province, and that it had only gained support from the local elite in the executive and legislative body.

According to him, local officials supported the proposal, which they believed would allow the military to cooperate with informal leaders and religious figures to encourage development in the province.

"The situation in Aceh is expected to calm down if the military command is led by an Acehnese military official as it was done by the late Brig. Gen. Syauman Gaharu, former and first commander of the then-Iskandar Muda Military Command," he said.

Hussaini recalled the frequent disappointments of the Acehnese in the past when Aceh was administratively dissolved on Aug. 17, 1950 and merged with North Sumatra and the dissolution of the military command in 1985.

"These two events are considered as an affront to Acehnese identity and cultural pride," he said.

Abdurrahman Yacub, a locally-known human rights activist, lambasted the planned revival of the military command, which he said would be used by the government to solve the Aceh issue with repression.

"The proposal will provide yet more opportunities for the military to intervene in Aceh's civilian matters in the future. This will certainly make the situation in Aceh worse," he said.

He argued the situation in the province had been mounting over the last three years because the government had, in the past, allowed the military to use violence and carry out human rights violations.

"As long as the government is reluctant to deal with economic disparities and bring those accused of human rights violations to court, the Aceh issue will no doubt continue," he said.

Abdurrahman said the government and security authorities had misunderstood the silence of the Acehnese people over the killing of more than 6,000 civilians during the military operation over the last nine months.

"In addition to the trauma caused by the repressive military operations between 1989 and 1998, most Acehnese people have to live in fear because individual rights are not respected. They do not fear death, but they won't die for nothing," he said.

During the ongoing military operation, at least ten Acehnese figures have been killed. So far, no investigation into the killings has been carried out.

Sympathy for the cause of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has gradually increased because of the latter's commitment to upholding economic and legal justice in the province.

Prior to reviving the military command, according to him, the government should think about its faults and misguided policy in the past and identify key problems in the province.

GAM has officially opposed the plan to revive the military command for similar reasons.