In command in Aceh
In command in Aceh
From Pikiran Rakyat
In response to many members of the Acehnese community's demand that the Joint Military Police Crack-Mass Riot Troops (PPRM) be withdrawn from the province, Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto finally assented to their redeployment. Some of the remaining military personnel were posted in different barracks and the other members were given the task of guarding vital sites in the province.
Of course, not all people support the move. Some want all military personnel withdrawn from Aceh. Granted, there is nothing wrong with that demand. But some Acehnese want the reestablishment of the Iskandarmuda Regional Military Command (KODAM Iskandarmuda). Wiranto agreed and asserted that the military institution was not meant to replace military operations, but to help create a conducive atmosphere in the region. Next, Wiranto is seeking military officers who hail from Aceh to become regional military commanders and other Acehnese military men to head the subordinate military divisions.
Wiranto admitted that the issue of Aceh was a complex one involving not only security matters but also other aspects such as politics, the economy and sociocultural affairs.
On the other side, there is the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). It is impossible to sympathize with this movement because it means a betrayal to the proclamation ideals of a united and sovereign Republic of Indonesia.
This new policy should be hailed in order to find a peaceful solution to the problem of Aceh. However, the challenge to be faced by the military is still there. GAM will be skeptical in viewing the action and is unlikely to abide by the appeal from the Indonesian military to hand over its weapons.
As with any other country, the military, on the other hand, will not let another armed force, in possession of illegal weapons, oppose it and exist within the republic. May God bestow His guidance toward a speedy settlement of Aceh's problems.
DENNY KUSNIRA KASIH
Jakarta