Govt seeks a change on Aceh emergency
Govt seeks a change on Aceh emergency
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Cabinet members dealing with security decided on Sunday their
short-term priority programs, including a comprehensive review of
the state of civil emergency in Aceh.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security
Affairs Widodo A. S. said an assessment would be conducted to
determine whether the integrated operations now underway in the
province had resulted in significant progress.
"In a bid to get fresh reports on the latest situation in
Aceh, all related ministers should do field visits and see
whether the integrated operations have met their set goals,"
Widodo said.
The administration of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri
imposed martial law on the entire province of Aceh on May 19,
2003 and launched major military operations against Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) rebels.
The operations were launched after a six-month-old peace
agreement collapsed.
Megawati lowered the martial law status to a state of civil
emergency on May 2004, citing improvement in security. The former
president assigned then chief security minister Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono to monitor the implementation of the emergency status
in the province.
Widodo said the government of President Susilo might maintain
the state of civil emergency, albeit partially in several areas
believed to be GAM strongholds. Another option was to lift the
emergency status but keep the military operation intact.
Also present in the meeting on Sunday were Minister of Defense
Juwono Sudarsono, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid
Awaluddin, State Minister of Communication and Information Sofyan
A. Djalil, Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf, Attorney General
Abdul Rachman Saleh, the National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen.
Adang Dorodjatun and the TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto.
On political affairs, they highlighted the preparations for
the direct election of regional government heads and amendments
to Law No. 21/2002 on special autonomy for Papua. The issues will
be tackled by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Widodo said direct elections of local leaders would occur in
at least 150 provinces and regencies.
"We will draw up clear regulations on the direct elections and
disseminate them nationwide," he said.
Megawati's administration planned for the elections to take
place in 2005, and so revised the Law on Regional Autonomy No.
22/1999.
The former president also revised the special autonomy law for
Papua by eliminating the political roles of the Papuan People's
Council (MRP). The decision sparked controversy as the original
status of the MRP was one of the hallmarks of the law meant to
empower the Papuans.
Under the original law, all policies that would affect the
life of people at large in the province required approval from
the MRP.
Meanwhile, Juwono would focus on efforts to lobby the United
States to lift its military embargo and boost the military-to-
military relationship between the two countries.
On law enforcement, Widodo encouraged the Ministry of Justice
and Human Rights and the Attorney General's Office to concentrate
on settling corruption cases, particularly the fraud case
involving state bank BNI.
Widodo also stated that the security authorities had to
prioritize the manhunt of most wanted bomb experts Dr. Azahari
bin Husin and Noordin Mohd. Top for their alleged roles in a
number of major terror attacks in the country.
Asked whether the President would adopt a strict carrot and
stick approach, Widodo said: "If they (the police) fail to
capture those men, we shouldn't immediately punish them, as we
consider the effort the more important thing."
According to Sofyan, all of the ministers were also told to
avoid foreign trips within the first 100 days in office in a bid
to make them focus on domestic problems.