Media asked to be responsible

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Uneasy with what it called irresponsible reports of civilian casualties, the Indonesian Military (TNI) is requiring all media covering military operations in Aceh to work "within the framework of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia".

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said here on Friday that the TNI leadership would take legal measures against media establishments that ran unfounded reports on the ongoing campaign against separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh.

"We require all media personnel (to work within the Unitary Republic of Indonesia) because news reports from the field may disturb the ongoing restoration of security," he said.

"The TNI headquarters and the military emergency administrator in Aceh rely on media reports on violations by the troops in the current military operation," Sjafrie said.

The statement came just two days after military emergency administrator in Aceh Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya told the media not to seek comments from GAM leaders over the military operation in Aceh.

The policy was introduced after several national newspapers ran reports of civilian casualties allegedly inflicted by government troops.

Sjafrie said the military had formed a task force to investigate possible abuses by its troops during the operations in the restive province.

He also said the military would investigate any reports of alleged abuses by its troops in a bid to enforce law during the military operation in Aceh.

"We will ask journalists who report alleged abuses by our troops to join our investigation into the case. The military chief has ordered the establishment of the investigating team," said Sjafrie, referring to TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto.

"The journalists would be included in the team because they know of the incident and the witnesses and "because we don't wont to be blamed," Sjafrie said.

"If the team finds the reports to be true, we will take legal action (against the military personnel involved)," Sjafrie said, adding that the military would take firm action against the troops who commit abuses.

"Conversely, if reports over (alleged abuses) by TNI members could not be proven, TNI leadership would take legal action against the media," he asserted.

Asked what action it would take, Sjafrie said it would be decided later by the military legal division.

"The policy will only be implemented for news from Aceh and about Aceh," he said.

Aceh emergency administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya is responsible for the implementation of the policy in the province of Aceh alone.

Outside Aceh, Sjafrie said, it is the central emergency administration, in this case, the President, who would take legal action against publications or broadcast media that publish "unfavorable" coverage about the operations in Aceh.

Meanwhile, military and government officials said Friday that 58 separatist rebels had been killed, and 23,000 civilians have fled their homes, since the military began its biggest offensive in years.

A rebel statement said 12 separatist fighters had been killed in the offensive, along with 43 soldiers and police, and that 53 civilians had lost their lives.

The various numbers could not be independently verified. The Indonesian military has denied causing any civilian deaths.

Aceh's military commander visited an island off the north Aceh coast on Friday to deliver humanitarian aid to an isolated community that has seen several clashes in recent days with entrenched GAM forces, according to Reuters.

The military has pounded the island, a half-hour by boat from the provincial capital Banda Aceh, with rocket fire from helicopters and machinegun and cannon fire from patrol boats.

"We are trying to eliminate the rebels from the air, land and sea. We are trying to prevent them from escaping," Major General Endang Suwarya told reporters.

Island resident Leila, who like many Indonesians uses one name, told Reuters the military campaign was frightening. "We are scared. Our economic life is very bad and we need aid."

Jakarta declared martial law in Aceh and the military launched its biggest offensive since the 1975 invasion of East Timor following the collapse of last-ditch talks in Tokyo last Sunday aimed at saving a five-month-old peace pact.

GAM has held out for independence instead of the special autonomy Jakarta is offering for Aceh, whose four million people practice a stricter kind of Islam than in the rest of Indonesia. The province is rich in oil and gas.

The United States, Japan and Europe have all urged a resumption of negotiations.