Govt to go ahead with state of emergency in Aceh

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is still pursuing its plan to impose a state of emergency in the restive province of Aceh, ignoring strong opposition from the provincial administration, councillors and students as well as non-governmental organizations there.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the rejection by Aceh legislators and Governor Abdullah Puteh of the plan to impose a state of emergency did not reflect the wishes of the Acehnese people as a whole.

"Their stance is against the demands of most Acehnese people who have urged us to restore security in the region," Susilo told a press conference held after a special coordinating meeting on political and security affairs on Thursday.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda meanwhile said that dialog remained the best way to deal with the Aceh question.

"I am for dialog and I do believe that a conflict cannot be resolved by creating a new conflict," he said during a discussion on human rights issues in Jakarta on Thursday.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri sent Susilo to Aceh last week to evaluate whether or not conditions there warranted the imposition of either a civil emergency or martial law.

During his five-day visit, he held meetings with local military and police commanders, councillors, religious leaders, students and non-governmental organizations.

In a meeting with local councillors, Susilo was warned against imposing either a civil emergency or martial law in the province as they claimed it would only worsen security conditions there, where thousands of innocent people have been killed in crossfire between government troops and GAM fighters.

Religious leaders, student activists and non-governmental organizations also expressed similar objections.

But according to Susilo, these councillors, religious leaders, students and non-governmental organizations do not represent the aspiration of the Acehnese people.

"It is not true that the Acehnese people reject the government's tough actions (against the Free Aceh Movement). They told me they are tired of GAM, and urged the government to bring peace to their area. They are afraid of GAM, but at the same time have appealed to the TNI and the police not to hit wrong targets in their operations," Susilo said.

"I received a written recommendation from Acehnese legislators that security and economic approaches should go hand in hand," he stressed.

"Yesterday (Wednesday), the House of Representatives supported us in our plan to take stern measures against GAM, including imposing a state of emergency in the province to keep our country united," he said.

He added that the government would unveil its new policy on Aceh on Aug. 5.

"The armed separatist movement must be defeated," he said.

Susilo also said that the government planned to send 24 judges to Aceh in the near future to preside over trials for anyone -- be they military personnel, GAM members, or civilians -- who violates the law and commit human rights abuses.

"Any separatist movement is against the law. So we should prosecute them in a fair trial," Susilo said.

According to Susilo, GAM currently has 3,000 combat troops on the ground with 2,000 weapons, plus 5,000 clandestine supporters.

The government, on the other hand, has a total of 21,000 troops and 12,000 police personnel.

"In a conventional war, we would only need three soldiers for every GAM member, but since we (the government) are facing an insurgency movement, we may need nine soldiers for every GAM member," Susilo said.

Susilo has requested an additional 8,000 troops for Aceh, compared to the 4,000 personnel requested earlier by the Banda Aceh-based Iskandar Muda Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf.

The government, he said, would ask for a written acknowledgment of support from the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I.

"I will ask for a written acknowledgment (of support) from the House," said Susilo, adding: "This will mean that the legitimacy of the government's actions will be stronger."

Susilo also said that GAM must accept the special autonomy arrangement and stop violence against local people if it wants peace talks with the government to resume.

He said the government would make a new dialog format to accommodate suggestions from Muslim ulema and intellectuals in Aceh who were also involved in negotiations.