ExxonMobil expected to restart operations soon

JAKARTA (JP): A meeting of the Indonesian authorities and ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia Inc. agreed on Monday afternoon that the U.S.-based oil firm is expected to resume its operations in Aceh on April 2.

"Although there is no guarantee that after two weeks of troop deployment security problems can be settled, ExxonMobil is expected to restart its production activities on April 2 as the country has suffered a lot financially," secretary-general of the Ministry of Mineral Resources Djoko Darmono said after a 4.5-hour meeting at the ministry.

He said the government and ExxonMobil have yet to calculate the total losses since the company halted its operations on March 9.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs; the Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters; the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command which oversees Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau provinces; the Mineral Resources Ministry and ExxonMobil.

Djoko said that in response to ExxonMobil's request for security assurance, the government has decided to send 2,128 troops to safeguard all ExxonMobil's vital installation sites.

Assistant for Operations to TNI Chief of General Affairs Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri said TNI had provided security protection for ExxonMobil's 39 vital installation sites, located in the towns of Lhokseumawe, Lhoksukon and Pasei.

TNI spokesman Rear Marshall Graito Usodo similarly said that there was no guarantee that the situation would return to normal.

"But, we'll do our best so that ExxonMobil can operate again," he said.

Graito said TNI will send one more battalion and several armored vehicles from cavalry units in Bandung, West Java, to safeguard ExxonMobil's installation sites.

Meanwhile, chief of the Bukit Barisan Military Command Maj. Gen. I.G. Purnawa said the command still encountered difficulties in maintaining security and order in Aceh because TNI's presence in the troubled province was primarily to safeguard and prevent any physical damage to strategic installations that could bring their production to a halt.

Purnawa said that he had yet to receive details for the planned limited military operation although the Cabinet had declared GAM a separatist movement.

"TNI is currently waiting for the government's political decision. I personally have yet to receive the order from the TNI chief," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. confirmed there will be military operations in Aceh because GAM is no longer recognized as a movement for freedom, but the Aceh Separatist Movement (GSA).

"A separatist organization, in legal terms, is a group of people which has the intention of toppling a legitimate government. So, the military operation should be seen from the point of view of this legal stance.

Mahfud said the government has yet to announce the fixed date for the military operations.

Back in Aceh, violence in the troubled province of Aceh has claimed five more lives, including a policeman, officials said on Monday.

Suspected GAM rebels shot dead police Brig. Bakri in his car on Monday in the Krueng Cut village, Darussalam district, Banda Aceh capital, police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Sayed Husaini said.

The killing followed the fatal shooting of a shopkeeper by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle on Sunday night, also in Banda Aceh, Sayed added.

Meanwhile, officials of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) said the body of a man with his hands tied was found on Sunday in the Indrapuri area of Aceh Besar district and another body found in a drum dumped at Sungai Meureubo village in West Aceh.

The finding adds to similar murders last year where at least five bodies were found in drums filled with cement, also in West Aceh.

Also on Sunday, a fisherman was killed by a stray bullet during a gunfight between police and rebels in the village of Seuriget, East Aceh, said East Aceh police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Abdullah Hayati.

From the giant industrial regency of North Aceh, spokesman of PT Arun LNG Co. Adnan N. Tusuf was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday that "all employees of PT Arun are working as usual and no evacuation took place."

"All administration works continue while there is one operational gas pipeline from the previous six available," he said.

The statement was made following the temporary closure of the ExxonMobil plants, from where thousands of employees of the oil firm have been evacuated out of the region.

"We (PT Arun) have around 1,200 employees and we have not yet evacuated them due to the fact that is a lack of gas supplies from ExxonMobil and we are continuing to produce gas from North Sumatra offshore," Adnan said.

Meanwhile, GAM separatist commander Tengku Abdullah Syafi'ie Dimatang said in a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday that GAM "will comply with the security zone agreed in a consultation meeting between both GAM and Indonesian field commanders".

The declared zones are in Bireun and North Aceh.

"I hereby order all GAM members to obey the agreement and urge Indonesia's security personnel not to make offensive or provocative motions that will damage the peace effort.. we are still progressing with dialogs to resolve Aceh's problems," Abdullah said in the statement.

In another development, Aceh's Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) rejected on Monday the planned limited military operation in the disputed province, fearing further negative reaction since people are still traumatized by the previous military operation (DOM) and current day-to-day violence.

The government and rebels have been holding peace talks in Geneva since last year. They have signed a series of truces but so far failed to stem violence which has left some 300 people dead this year.

There are some 30,000 organic and non-organic security personnel stationed in the disputed province of Aceh. (50/edt)