Govt officially declares GAM as separatists
JAKARTA (JP): The government officially declared on Monday the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as separatists with a clear aim to separate Aceh province from the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
The decision was revealed by Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak after a Cabinet meeting attended by President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the Bina Graha presidential office in Central Jakarta.
"The Free Aceh Movement has already reached a level that can be considered a separatist movement," Marsilam told media, as quoted by Antara.
In Karawang regency of West Java, Army chief of staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Monday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would rather conduct a military operation to respond to separatist activities than allow any regions throughout the nation to separate from Indonesia.
"If there are only two options -- to conduct a military operation or to lose the region -- we (the TNI) will firmly choose the first option," Endriartono said while addressing the opening of a training camp for members of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)'s new intelligence platoons at the Sangga Buana exercise camp in Karawang.
"We are doing our duty to maintain the nation's unity," he added.
The four-star general warned the soldiers to be selective in performing their duties in an emergency area, saying that they must not kill innocent people.
"You should shoot at your enemies, not the people. Killing innocent people will only give you a temporary victory, while in fact you are just creating more enemies for the future," he said.
In Aceh, Cinta Meunasah II spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Harunantyo said the planned limited military operation could be conducted based on the escalation of the situation in the area.
"But again, if such an operation is to be conducted, it must be clear who will conduct the operation, the perimeter of the operation area, the target of the operation, the kind of repressive action to be taken and, most importantly, the legal and political basis of the action," he told The Jakarta Post by phone from Banda Aceh.
He cited that unusual and uncontrollable incidents often occurred in Aceh.
"On March 8 alleged rebels stormed the Simpang Ulin Military Subdistrict and seized 16 of the 30 M-16 rifles at the post without interference. Hundreds of rounds of bullets were also kept in the post," he said, adding that it is uncommon for a subdistrict post to hold such stocks of weaponry.
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Chaerul Rasyid said on Monday that the police are ready to temporarily fill the district chiefs' administrative positions which are being abandoned because of security threats.
Reports have stated that in the regencies of East Aceh, North Aceh and Pidie, about 75 percent of the administrative operations have not been functioning.
Similar conditions are also found in districts across West Aceh and South Aceh.
The civil servants and other government officials are reportedly too scared to undertake their duties due to threats from the rebels.
Violence, however, continued to rock the province on Monday, killing at least five people, including a soldier identified as Corp. Suwardi.
Officer Harunantyo also said that the police had never been notified of the closure of either ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia or PT Arun LNG Co's plants.
"Up until today those companies have not given us any information about the closures. We would appreciate it if they were straight forward with us about what is going on.
"We do not want to risk anything as rebels may take over the compound and the already complex situation will become worse," he said. (edt/02/50)