Military operation

Military operation and human rights

From Media Indonesia

The integrated military operation in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam has been going on for nearly three months and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is now in a difficult position, as shown by its members' increasing brutality, such as threats to newsmen, teachers, civil servants and other citizens.

GAM's actions, its attacks on civilians, is no longer tolerable. However, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has not properly responded to such violations. Conversely, some time ago chairman of the commission's ad hoc team for Aceh asked that the operation in Aceh be halted because the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police had violated human rights.

In fact, the public is aware that the integrated operation in Aceh is meant to eliminate the armed separatist movement. According to human rights expert Tjipta Lesaman, a military operation against an armed movement can be justified. Yet Komnas HAM considers the crushing of an armed separatist rebellion as a human rights abuse. A lot of TNI and police members have been killed by GAM but Komnas HAM has remained silent.

Therefore, all members of Komnas HAM particularly the ad hoc team should realize that this commission must be flexible and make objective evaluations, free from bias so as not to be regarded as supporting GAM.

SYAIFULLAH Bogor, West Java