Habibie says sorry to Acehnese

Habibie says sorry to Acehnese

By Kornelius Purba

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): A demonstration involving thousands of
people, flavored by tear gas and warning shots fired by security
personnel, greeted President B.J. Habibie on his one-day trip
here, where he offered apologies for the pain inflicted during
the 10-year military operation in the province.

Only a few hundred protesters managed to approach the tightly
guarded Baiturrahman mosque, the venue for the President's visit.

Warning shots and tear gas were fired when demonstrators
continued to push through the barricade at a bridge near the
mosque, and some jumped in the Peuniti river, attempting to reach
the far bank, a local correspondent said.

Dozens of demonstrators were injured and some were beaten by
security personnel. Several people were taken to hospital.

At the mosque, Habibie conducted the Friday prayers before
giving a speech and answering questions from some of the
thousands of attendees.

"On behalf of the government and the military, I apologize for
all excesses which have occurred," the President told the forum.

"I have instructed security personnel to immediately stop all
violence and bloodshed." He also pledged to punish any Armed
Forces members involved in human rights violations.

The military operations from 1989 to 1998 has led to thousands
killed, widowed and orphaned. Fact-finding teams also said many
had become invalids, and that many homes had been destroyed.

Minister of Defense and Security/ Armed Forces (ABRI)
Commander Gen. Wiranto earlier apologized to the Acehnese when he
lifted the operations status last year. Since then residents have
accused the government of lacking seriousness in redressing their
losses, a charge repeated on Friday.

"We do not want empty promises. We will take more aggressive
measures if your promises are not realized," Muhammad Saleh, one
of several outspoken attendees, told the President. "And do not
ever try to intimidate or frighten people," Saleh, a student of
Iskandar Muda University, said.

He reiterated demands for a referendum, saying it was the only
way to end bloodshed in the province. The same demand was
repeated by demonstrators outside the mosque.

Sporadic violence has erupted between civilians and the
military, leading to more victims, following alleged abductions
of military members blamed on separatists of the Free Aceh
movement. Earlier this week the Armed Forces said bodies of two
military personnel were found.

Habibie promised to convey the proposal of a referendum to the
People's Consultative Assembly and the House of Representatives,
saying it was not within his authority to decide.

He added that if Acehnese wanted their voices heard they
should vote in the June elections to ensure their representation
in the above bodies.

His entourage included First Lady Hasri Ainun Habibie,
Wiranto, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung and other
ministers.

Habibie added the government realized that "former policies
were unsuited to the Aceh people ... which might have been caused
by centralization."

If accepted, he and his wife would become "foster parents of
talented children", he said.

He told the people that his visit aimed to build ties with the
people of Aceh and hear their problems directly, particularly the
effects of the military operations.

Habibie promised to rebuild the railway in the province and to
widen the airport's runway. He also pledged to develop the
northernmost Sabang town as a modern port and industrial center.

"Where will he get all the money from?" a curious 60-year-old
man, Zulfikar, said on hearing all the promises.

Another attendee said that instead of punishing military
officers responsible for harming Aceh, ABRI instead promoted
them.

Students referred to Minister of Home Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan
Hamid, who was ABRI commander in the early years of the military
operation. Such officers remain "untouchable", said Fuadri,
senate chairman of the state-run Syiah Kuala University.

Fuadri reiterated students' opposition to calls for a military
command to be reopened to restore security in the province. "The
reopening will only add to disasters faced by the people," Fuadri
said.

In his address Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud said the
government's praises to Aceh people should be followed up with
policies to redress "wounds and disappointment" brought on by
military actions.

Ahead of Habibie's visit the government attempted
"reconciliatory" measures, releasing 40 Acehnese political
prisoners, most of them linked to the Free Aceh movement.

The military operation attempted to crush the movement, but
resentment against the Indonesian government remained. This was
on top of what was seen as the state filling its coffers with
wealth from the resource-rich province while the people
benefited little.

Demands for a referendum have been raised since Governor
Syamsuddin suggested a federation may be the best way to retain
the integrity of the nation. Students said it would be better to
have a referendum to determine whether Acehnese wanted
independence from Indonesia.