Foreigners still not allowed to enter Aceh despite lifting on martial law

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh

Governor Abdullah Puteh announced on Wednesday that despite the province's change of status to civil emergency, a number of regulations from the martial law period still applied, including the ban on foreigners entering the province.

"We are still banning foreigners from entering Aceh .... However, we will make an exception for the Sabang (tourist resort)," Puteh said.

As chief of the civil emergency administration of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Puteh also said those martial law regulations still in effect included shooting on sight unidentified, suspicious-looking people.

"However, we will fire warning shots first," provincial military chief and the former chief of the martial law administration, Maj. Endang Suwarya, said. He added that the shoot-on-sight order was necessary as "shock therapy" against members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), who he blamed for various crimes such as the burning down schools.

Officials said rules to enforce the martial law regulations would be drawn up on Wednesday.

Puteh made the announcement after meeting with civil emergency authorities, including the head of the assistance team, Progo Nurjaman, and the deputy chief of the prosecutor's office, Teuku Zakaria. The assistance team, which was deployed from Jakarta, is being led by ad interim coordinating minister for political and security affairs Hari Sabarno.

Speaking in Banda Aceh on Wednesday, Hari said the authorities expected the civil emergency in the province to receive a smooth implementation despite the fact that Puteh is a witness in a corruption case.

"He will have to divide his time (between being the civil emergency administrator) and answering police summons," Hari said as quoted by Antara. "We cannot deactivate officials every time they become witnesses in police cases."

Puteh was questioned for eight hours at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta earlier this week over a number of charges, including the marking up of prices on helicopters purchased from the provincial budget.

The requirement that Puteh consult with the assistance team from Jakarta on all policies regarding Aceh is thought to be related to his implication in the graft cases.

Puteh said his administration was "fully in charge" since martial law was ended on May 19. The transfer of authority from Maj. Gen. Endang to Puteh took place on Monday, almost three weeks after the government lowered the province's status. Endang remains the military chief in the restive province, where GAM rebels have been fighting for independence since 1976.

Provincial police chief Insp. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman said the ban on foreigners was needed to secure Aceh from people "who want to initiate a conflict".

The ban on foreigners means the operations of international humanitarian operations will continue to be hampered. However, ahead of the April legislative election Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto announced that foreign observers were allowed to monitor the elections in Aceh, though under strict conditions.

The government also announced that military operations would continue when necessary in Aceh. The National Resilience Institute has said that there should be clear rules of conduct for security personnel, so as to differentiate their behavior under martial law and under a civil emergency.

Civilians have often complained of harassment by both GAM fighters and police and military personnel.