Military operation in Aceh has failed, says Komnas HAM

Military operation in Aceh has failed, says Komnas HAM

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on
Friday that the military operation against the separatist Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) had failed and urged both parties to go back
to the negotiating table.

The commission's team for Aceh argued that the operation had
increased the number of civilian victims from a series of violent
acts, including arbitrary arrests, torture, kidnapping, sexual
abuse and extrajudicial killings.

"The number of (civilian) victims has been increasing since
the imposition of martial law on May 19. There are more widows
and children who have suffered economically, socially and
psychologically," the team said in a statement, which was read by
team chairman M.M. Billah.

Billah said that the widows and children suffered "trauma and
want to take revenge."

He also said that the military operation had not "won the
hearts of the Acehnese people as was expected."

"The military emergency operation has failed to achieve its
goal as intended by the Indonesian Military," Billah told
reporters. "It has failed because many of the victims are
civilians and noncombatants."

The commission angered the military last month when it said it
was investigating reports of a mass grave in the restive
province.

During the press conference, Billah presented the team's
findings after its recent visit to Aceh. The team found a case in
which a man whose name was similar to one of the GAM leaders was
murdered. The man was arrested without a warrant and was later
tortured and murdered.

"One of his family members told us (about the torture and
murder)," Billah said.

The commission also said that extrajudical killings, rape and
torture had been taking place but it declined to say who was
responsible.

The military said that it had killed 338 GAM members since May
19, while more then 600 had either surrendered or been captured.

The military has not been recording civilian deaths, but the
police said that 150 civilians had been killed.

Independent verification of death tolls or of allegations of
human rights violations is proving difficult.

Billah said that his team strongly urged both the government
and GAM to settle the conflict in Aceh, peacefully.

"If they agree we could be their mediator. Or, they could re-
appoint the HDC," he said, referring to the Henry Dunant Centre,
which facilitated the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement last
year.

Military abuses are cited as one of the igniting factors in
the formation of the separatist movement which began in 1976. At
least 10,000 people have been killed during the bloody conflict
in the province.