'End martial law in Aceh to restore'

'End martial law in Aceh to restore'

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted religious figures repeated earlier demands to end
martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, saying that continuing
the violence there would damage the dignity of the Acehnese.

Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, former president and respected
ulema of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU), said on Friday that Jakarta had never understood the
problems in Aceh and insisted on perceiving the main issue as
security disturbances to the nation's sovereignty.

He also incited resentment in Aceh when he decided the
military operation should resume in 2001, but he is also known
for initiating a humanitarian pause when in office.

He added that the lack of understanding about the situation in
Aceh had caused the government to repeat the same policies --
responding to Acehnese demands with a military offensive. Gus Dur
was addressing a seminar on the impact of the military operation
in Aceh, which has now been extended by six months.

Following the end of Aceh's 10-year status as a military
operations area, and an apology from then Indonesian military
chief Gen. Wiranto, locals demanded that human rights violators
be brought to trial -- something that has yet to materialize.

Gus Dur said that under martial law declared in May this year,
"basic rights of the Acehnese have been put aside for what the
military says are security initiatives."

"How can the Acehnese hold meetings freely, as we are doing?"
he said at talks organized by the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnas HAM).

Martial law has provided a legal basis for Jakarta's
sidelining of basic Acehnese rights, Gus Dur said.

Chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Nathan
Setiabudi said the imposition of martial law for the sake of the
Unitary Republic of Indonesia was unacceptable.

Citing the ethics of Christianity, he said, "the Unitary
Republic is supposed to be a place for everyone to be a human
being. Indeed, the military operation is simply a deterrent that
does not aim at making people human," Nathan told the seminar.
"Reviving dignity is a possible solution to the Aceh issue; we
can only make it if we give them dignity."

The government has cited the need to make secure next year's
general elections in Aceh as among the reasons for extending
martial law. It ignored protests from rights campaigners,
prodemocracy groups and donor countries -- the European Union,
Japan and the United States -- which have initiated a post-war
construction fund for Aceh.

Nathan reiterated calls for the government and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) to return to the negotiating table, saying "it is
the only humane way."

He said the parties could begin by clearing up differences of
perception leading to the collapse of the Cessation of
Hostilities Agreement signed between the government and GAM in
December 2002.

Rights activist Munir concurred with the two religious
leaders, saying that Jakarta was using the military purely for
its own political interests.