House to pass special autonomy law in May

House to pass special autonomy law in May

JAKARTA (JP): While indicating that the House of
Representatives (DPR) would pass the special autonomy law for
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam in May, a legislator warned on Tuesday
that the government should not preempt the House by issuing a
government regulation in lieu of a law.

"Although we may exceed the May 1 deadline for the enactment
of the law, we will still pass it in May," the chairman of the
House special committee on special autonomy for Aceh, Ferry
Mursyidan Baldan, said.

The May 1 deadline is stipulated in the People's Consultative
Assembly Decree No.4/2000 recommending the implementation of
regional autonomy, which was debated during the Assembly's annual
session last August.

The same deadline has been set for a law on special autonomy
for Irian Jaya.

Ferry said the government should not force the matter by
issuing a regulation in lieu of a law just to meet the deadline.

"The government should wait for the bill which is being
deliberated. Besides, we don't know what the substance of the
planned government regulation will be," he said.

He was commenting on a statement by Coordinating Minister for
Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
setting out the government's plan to issue a government
regulation on special autonomy for Aceh and Irian Jaya so as to
meet the deadline set by the Assembly decree.

Susilo said on Tuesday that the government would submit the
draft government regulation to House leaders on Friday.

"The Assembly decree stipulates that the House, in
collaboration with the government, has to pass the laws before
May 1. But since the House is in recess, we may fail to meet the
deadline," he said after a coordinating meeting on political,
social and security affairs.

"The government, therefore, proposes to issue a regulation,
while the House continues to debate the bill," he added.

On Tuesday, the committee held a hearing with Aceh Governor
Abdullah Puteh, who said that the establishment of Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam would be one solution to the Aceh problem that was
capable of meeting the demands of the Acehnese.

Separately, Indonesian Military (TNI) general affairs chief
Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago said the TNI may deploy more troops to
Aceh depending on security developments in the province.

"If the situation requires the TNI to send more troops there,
we will do so," Djamari said.

The TNI has so far deployed eleven companies of troops to Aceh
in an effort to suppress the armed insurgency in the province.

Meanwhile, back in Aceh, the violence continued unabated with
at least two people being killed on Monday, spokesman for the
Police's Cinta Meunasah II Operation Adj. Sr. Comr. Sad
Harunantyo told The Jakarta Post from the capital of Aceh, Banda
Aceh, on Tuesday.

Separately, the chairman of Aceh's coordinating unit for
disaster relief Azwar Abubakar said a total of 5,185 houses had
been torched and more than 15,000 people left homeless during the
past two years of conflict in Aceh.

According to Azwar, there are about 24,000 refugees generated
by the conflict spread across five regencies in Aceh.

Antara also quoted a spokesman for the humanitarian
organization Peace Through Dialog, Oemardi, as saying that the
Henry Dunant Center (HDC) had pledged US$50,000 to help Acehnese
refugees in Idi Rayeuk subdistrict in eastern Aceh.

Oemardi, however, said the NGO could not channel the aid until
the warring groups in Aceh give security assurances for the
project.

The donation will be used to rehabilitate 213 houses and shops
burned down during armed clashes between government troops and
GAM rebels, Oemardi said.

Separately, National Police records show that at least 298
people have died in clashes in Aceh over the past month.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said on
Tuesday that the victims included civilians, GAM members and TNI
and police personnel.

"Of the 298, 33 were from the TNI, 36 were police officers,
and the remainder were GAM insurgents and civilians," Didi told
reporters.

Those reported missing during the ongoing conflict in Aceh,
Didi said, included three TNI soldiers, 10 police officers, and
56 members of GAM and civilians.

"So far during the recent clashes, police have arrested 209
people suspected of being GAM members, and have seized various
items of incriminating evidence from them," Didi said.
(02/dja/edt/ylt)