Military command to be set up soon in Aceh: Source

JAKARTA (JP): Despite widespread condemnation by Acehnese, President B.J. Habibie has reportedly approved the Ministry of Defense's plan to reestablish the Iskandar Muda Military Command in the strife-torn province.

A source told The Jakarta Post that a Cabinet meeting presided over by Habibie on Thursday agreed to the establishment of the military command. "It will be officially inaugurated on Sept. 1," the source said after attending the meeting.

Minister of Justice Muladi, when asked for confirmation, would only comment that it would be set up "in the very near future".

Acehnese leaders and observers alike have protested Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto's plan to reinstate the military command. They argue the presence of more troops will only serve to heighten the suffering of the Acehnese after enduring military atrocities in the past 10 years.

Wiranto announced the plan last week during a meeting with Acehnese figures in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Habibie's administration has found itself hard pressed to contain the growing violence in Aceh. Clashes between separatist rebels and security personnel have left many dead and wounded, and also driven an estimated 150,000 people to seek shelter in refugee centers. Official data on the refugees are not available.

Many Acehnese have appealed to the government to provide special recognition of the cultural characteristics of the natural resource-rich province, which is almost universally Islamic. Recommendations have included the implementation of Islamic law.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said on Thursday that "partial" Islamic laws may soon be implemented in the province.

The House of Representatives and the government are now ready to deliberate legislation that would grant Aceh autonomy in the fields of education and the observance of its religious and cultural characteristics, as well as the reestablishment of the Iskandar Muda Military Command, Syarwan said.

Before attending the Cabinet meeting on security and political affairs at the Bina Graha presidential office, Syarwan said it was likely "not all of the Islamic laws are to be implemented.

"The 'beheading,' for instance, would be excluded," he said as quoted by Antara, in reference to a death penalty under Islamic law.

Laws that may be accepted, he said, included the use of Arabic characters, inscription of basmallah (in the name of Allah) on letterheads of the regional administration and the designation of Friday as a regional holiday.

Syarwan said a similar system was in place in the Malaysian state of Kedah.

"What we cannot accept is only GAM (Free Aceh Movement). We can accept the others," Syarwan said.

"Regarding victims of the military operations, there's an independent team that will handle this objectively."

Hundreds were killed or went missing and thousands were wounded from 1988 to 1998 when Jakarta set out to crush separatism by designating Aceh a military operation zone. Violence has continued unabated since the operation ended, with hundreds of people killed this year.

Acehnese demands, including legal action against perpetrators of human rights abuses, have not been satisfied by President B.J. Habibie's administration although he set up a team to deal with their grievances.

Syarwan was optimistic the government's gesture regarding Islamic law would contribute to solving the province's problems "as long as we're serious and keep those promises".

He said a team of ministers, including Wiranto who is concurrently minister of defense and has promised a redeployment of crack riot troops in Aceh, would visit Aceh on Aug. 28 to meet with students and community leaders.

Meanwhile, AFP reported from Jakarta on Thursday that police shot dead a suspected separatist rebel in Aceh. The man, identified as Amirudin, was killed in an exchange of gunfire on Wednesday in the village of Meunasah Mee in north Aceh, according to Col. Nurudin Usman, commander of police operations overseeing North Aceh.

Separatists threw a grenade at a police patrol car in the area and the police responded by opening fire, he said.

Usman said no police officers were wounded but the patrol car was badly damaged. He said police confiscated an AK-47 rifle, bullets and documents.

North Aceh, along with East Aceh and Pidie, are the three Aceh districts which have borne the brunt of intense military operations against rebels.

In Jakarta, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar said Aceh Police chief Col. Bachrumsyah Kasman requested that military troops not be withdrawn from nine of 22 unrest- prone areas.

"The National Police earlier thought that withdrawal meant only the pullout of TNI members. But, TNI must remove all communication and transportation facilities from those areas as well," Togar told reporters at the National Police Headquarters.

"This could prove to be difficult for police. More clashes are bound to break out in these vulnerable times there. We cannot leave those areas unguarded, and the city police have their work cut out for them already."

Togar said that Bachrumsyah, as provincial chief of police operations, requested the withdrawal of troops from 13 areas only. He added that there were about 30 troops to every two unrest-prone areas. (39/43/prb/swe/ylt)