Expert slams govt over Aceh military command

Expert slams govt over Aceh military command

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Military observer M.T. Arifin blamed on Tuesday ministers
responsible for security affairs for a lack of coordination with
military authorities over the plan to reestablish the Iskandar
Muda military command in the restive province of Aceh.

The government should have consulted all three chiefs of
staff, particularly the Army chief of staff, about its plan to
revive military commands in certain regions as the military
commands are connected with the military's territorial role,
Arifin said.

"If the Army chief of staff said he was not consulted on the
plan while it (the plan) has been discussed at coordination
meetings of top security authorities, the ministers must have
bypassed certain standard procedures," he said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto Monday sparked
new controversy on Monday over the government's plan to reinstate
the military command in Aceh as he alleged that he had no
knowledge of the issue.

Endriartono also said that the Army headquarters had not
determined whether the reestablishment of the military command in
Aceh was required, adding that "the state is supposed to share
its money with the poor Acehnese who are suffering from hunger,
not revive a military command there."

"The reestablishment of the military command in Aceh should be
proposed both by the Aceh governor and military authorities, that
is the Army. If Endriartono said he had no knowledge of the
issue, I can say that the government has decided on the plan
without a proposal either from the local government or the Army,"
Arifin said.

Separately, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono refused to comment on whether or
not there was a lack of coordination among ministers under his
supervision, saying that the plan to reestablish the military
command in Aceh was once proposed by the Ministry of Defense as
part of its defense strategy.

"The plan was first discussed at the Ministry of Defense as
any policy on a strategic level is first proposed by the
ministry. I can't answer every question about the plan," Susilo
asserted.