House wants answer about arrested local Acehnese politicians
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung on Friday called on the Aceh martial law administration to release detained politicians who supported the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists out of fear rather than voluntarily.
Akbar, also chairman of the Golkar Party, demanded on Friday that the authority investigate whether the politicians' alleged links to the rebels were "intended" or not.
"Possibly, they were forced to give donations to GAM. If this happens, they must not be considered as having links with GAM," Akbar told the press here.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, an assistant to Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said on Friday that the arrests of politicians in Aceh were based on credible intelligence reports.
"We don't want to catch the wrong persons," he said.
Sudi, nevertheless, said that the martial law administration would not just automatically believe such intelligence reports as a series of investigations would also been carried out against the arrested politicians to see whether they were really involved in the separatist movement.
He said the arrest of civil servants was part of the operation to crush the rebellion.
"Regarding the special screening for civil servants in Aceh, I think it is the only way to determine their loyalty to the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
"It is inconceivable that we will hire civil servants who at the same time support the secession of the province," Sudi told reporters.
Despite criticism over the arbitrary arrests of civil servants and councillors, Aceh martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya stated on Wednesday that he would soon launch another operation to target "white-collar" rebels in Aceh.
He said the operation would target all people regardless of their backgrounds, whether they were civil servants, legislators, or businesspeople.
Endang emphasized that civil servants and businesspeople who had "two faces" would be targeted as they threatened national integrity.
He made the statement during a visit to the regency of Aceh Singkil, where he was greeted by hundreds of civil servants, and religious and community leaders.
During the visit, he was accompanied by Aceh police chief Insp. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman and Aceh deputy governor Azwar Abubakar.
Endang said he would ask the provincial administration to shift funds previously allocated for "rebellious areas" to the regency of Aceh Singkil, whose residents had declared their loyalty to the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Separately, alleged rebel leader Isnandar Al Pasee alias Irwandi Yusuf, who has been detained at National Police Headquarters in Jakarta for two weeks, was transported to Aceh.
The Aceh Police's chief of detectives, Sr. Comr. Surya Darma, said that Isnandar would be questioned by Aceh Police before being brought to court.
Isnandar was a lecturer at the Syah Kuala University in Banda Aceh and an activist with the World Wildlife Fund, specializing in elephant conservation.
He was arrested at a house on Jalan Otista III, East Jakarta, belonging to American freelance journalist William Nessen. Nessen is reportedly still with GAM rebels, possibly in Bireuen regency.
Besides Isnandar, the Aceh police also brought in from Palembang, South Sumatra, an alleged GAM rebel who the military claims burned down three school buildings in Pidie regency.
Teungku Ali, the alleged GAM member, was apprehended in Palembang. "We will process them all," Surya Darma added.
Places Number of GAM rebels arrested ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aceh 13 Banda Aceh 24 Aceh Besar 15 Pidie 17 Bireuen 5 North Aceh 13 East Aceh 5 South Aceh 24 Central Aceh 19 Southeast Aceh 4 Sabang 4 West Aceh 1 ------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Aceh Police