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.