Ex-Aceh chief named Army deputy chief

JAKARTA: Former Aceh military commander Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya, who led an operation against separatist rebels, was officially installed as the new Army deputy chief on Monday.

After the inauguration ceremony at Army Headquarters in Jakarta, Endang expressed hope the government would determine the status of the tsunami-ravaged Aceh by considering all sectors, including security, to enable reconstruction work to continue in the province.

The government is expected to review the two-year-old emergency status in Aceh on May 19.

Endang was appointed head of the Iskandar Muda Military Command overseeing Aceh days before president Megawati Soekarnoputri imposed martial law in the province in May 2003.

He then led a military offensive to crush the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The military says at least 3,000 guerrillas were killed or arrested during the offensive.

Human rights activists claim that during the operation under Endang's command about 663 Acehnese civilians were killed.

They urged Endang's successor, Maj. Gen. Syafiuddin Yusuf, who previously headed the Udayana Military Command overseeing West and East Nusa Tenggara and Bali, to use dialog in dealing with GAM. --JP