Megawati seeks support for Aceh war
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Cirebon
President Megawati Soekarnoputri called on the people to support her decision to wage war against Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels to maintain the country's territorial integrity.
Megawati said there was no option for her other than to launch massive military strikes against GAM.
"I hope that the decision receives the understanding and support from Indonesian people, including those who work under the name of democracy and human rights," Megawati said on Tuesday.
"It was with a heavy heart that for the sake of national integrity, human rights and to upheld the law, I had to impose martial law in Aceh province," the President said.
Megawati was making her overdue comments during the commemoration of National Awakening day. The decision to launch the offensive was taken last week as GAM refused to meet government demands to give up its independence fight.
The government imposed martial law in Aceh following the failure of last minute talks in Tokyo over the weekend to save the peace deal signed in Geneva on Dec. 9 last year.
"I refused to disregard the founding father's wish just to meet the demands of a number of separatist members, who were led by foreign nationals," she stressed.
GAM is lead by Hasan Tiro, who has been living in Sweden since 1979 and had relinquish his Indonesian nationality.
Concerns over the military offensive came from various groups, both from within the country and the international community, amid fears it will only bring more suffering to the Acehnese.
Many questioned the effectiveness of military strikes to end the conflict, which has plagued the province since 1976 and claimed more than 10,000 mainly civilian lives.
Meanwhile, a number of politicians called on the government to remain open to finding a peaceful solution, but they stopped short from criticizing the use of military force.
United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also Vice President, said keeping the peace option open in Aceh would save both energy and funds for the government.
"If we could go with peace, we could prevent more casualties in the province and save a lot of funds to support our development program," Hamzah said.
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid, who began the dialog process with GAM in 2000, said the peaceful approach was the best approach.
"Should the government be willing to be more patient, there is still a possibility of continuing with the peace process," Abdurrahman said in Cirebon, West Java.
He said the government should not give up so easily in exploring peace as the Acehnese would only support peaceful solutions in the province.
"But it is up to the government, I do not want to judge them."