JP/2/KODAM

JP/2/KODAM

Mega bows to military,
allows Aceh command

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono said in Jakarta on Thursday that President
Megawati Soekarnoputri will issue a decision on the
reestablishment of the military command in Aceh in the near
future.

"The suggestion and demand for the reestablishment of the
military command will be carefully considered and there will soon
be a political decision on it," Susilo said at a media conference
after a Cabinet meeting.

"If the reestablishment of the military command could be part
of a solution in troubled Aceh then we will revive it," the
minister said, reiterating the importance of maintaining the
territorial integrity of the country.

According to a human rights campaigner here, however, the plan
to revive the Aceh military command will only prolong oppression
in the territory, because it would in effect, deploy thousands of
troops intent on crushing separatism without regard for human
rights.

Bambang Widjojanto sees the plan as a concession that
President Megawati Soekarnoputri must "pay" to the military in
exchange for its support of her administration.

"The military has been politically isolated, criticized and in
a difficult position, and it seems that they now see an
opportunity to rebuild their strength under the Megawati
administration," Bambang said.

Perhaps Megawati, a staunch nationalist and completely
intolerant of any type of separatist activity, is aware that it
could take a very long time to create a peaceful, diplomatic
solution to the conflict in Aceh, and so she is taking an
expedient route, a short cut, the "crush-them-with-the-military
way", he asserted.

Bambang said that there are essentially three reasons behind
the re-establishment of the Aceh military command. First,
Megawati wants a quick solution but without calculating the risk,
second the military needs a legitimate base to deal with the
separatism, in its way, without any checks or balances and third
the military wants to politicize social problems in Aceh and use
violence to put it to an end.

"Why does the military want to revive the command at a time
when it is supposed to be reducing its territorial role and only
focusing on outside threats?" Bambang asked.

Susilo said that the government would not only concentrate on
the security aspects for the reestablishment of the military
command, but more on the effort to maintain the country's
sovereignty.

The Iskandar Muda Military Command, which oversaw Aceh, the
Tujuhbelas Agustus Military Command that oversaw West Sumatra and
the Bukit Barisan Military Command, which oversaw North Sumatra,
were merged into the Bukit Barisan Military Command in May 1985.

The military in Aceh is now under the control of the Bukit
Barisan Military Command, whose territories cover several
provinces including North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam.

In 1999 then military commander Gen. Wiranto proposed the
reestablishment of the Iskandar Muda Military Command, but the
proposal was withdrawn after receiving strong opposition due to
fears of the repetition of human rights abuses during the
military operation from 1989 to 1998.

Any effort to improve the security situation in the province,
where the special autonomy law and syariah (Islamic law) has been
officially put into effect since Tuesday, will receive a
skeptical response because of severe public distrust of the
military establishment.

Therefore, the plan for the reestablishment of the military
command in the province will also gain opposition from certain
elements in society.

Bachtiar Aly of the University of Indonesia (UI) said that a
tryout is needed before the military command is reestablished to
ensure that there will be no negative effect to its
reestablishment.

"Such a tryout is needed to answer public skepticism that the
reestablishment of the military command is not aimed at returning
militarism to the province," said Bachtiar, former presidential
adviser for Aceh affairs.

"I agree with the idea to reestablish the military command if
the objective is to create a clear command in the region's
security forces," Bachtiar told The Jakarta Post.

Bachtiar said he could understand the reasons behind the
provincial administration's demand to reestablish the military
command, as the uncertain security command in Aceh had caused
problems for security personnel.