'Military operations have always failed'
'Military operations have always failed'
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Rights campaigners warned on Tuesday that the government's plan
to launch a military operation in Aceh to quell separatism would
only incite more hatred of the central government among the
Acehnese.
Munir, the founder of the Commission for Missing People and
Victims of Violence (Kontras), said that the Acehnese had been
enjoying relative peace following the signing of the peace
agreement between the government and the separatist Free Aceh
Movement (GAM).
Therefore, abandoning the peace deal and resorting to military
force would only incite anger among the people and they would
blame the government for their plight.
"A military operation is not the answer. It will only thwart
the development of peace in the province," Munir said.
"We've launched such military operations in the past. What did
we gain? A bad image in the international community, financial
losses from supporting the operations and unbearable suffering
among the Acehnese," he said.
Munir, therefore, called on the government to abandon the
military operation plan and return to the peace path by engaging
GAM and all Acehnese in the process.
"The government should have started to develop the province to
support the truce," he said.
The rights campaigner also criticized the government for
involving the military in the decision-making process for Aceh.
"There has been hardly any civilian participation in this
issue. There have been foul insinuations that if you don't permit
a military operation in Aceh, then you support separatism," Munir
added.
Referring to the widespread antiwar protests against the U.S-
led attack on Iraq, he slammed Indonesia's civilian leaders as
being hypocrites and applying double standards. On the one hand,
they loudly opposed the war in Iraq but remained silent over the
possibility of a war in Aceh.
Separately, Afridal Darmi, director of the Aceh Legal Aid
Institute, also warned the government not to hastily resort to a
military operation in the province as it would only victimize
Acehnese civilians.
He noted that the peace deal had reduced violence
significantly in Aceh and therefore, there was no reason to
abandon it.
"Since the truce took effect, there have been only three cases
reported to us. Previously, we were getting some 20 cases a month
on average," he said, adding that most of the cases involved
abductions, illegal detentions, murders and massacres.
Afridal said that most Acehnese, particularly the ordinary
people, supported the truce as they had been able to enjoy normal
lives since its signing.
"Small-scale vendors could start up businesses, farmers could
cultivate their land and the courts have opened up again since
the truce took effect," he said.
He also said that the truce had played an important role in
reuniting families.
"Many Acehnese men had to leave their families as they had to
hide somewhere because they were afraid of being shot or
kidnapped by either the military or GAM. Aceh was in a state of
war at the time. I can't imagine what will happen if it (a
military operation) resumes in Aceh," Afridal said.
Indonesia has signaled its intention of launching a military
operation in Aceh as it considers GAM to have been violating the
peace deal by campaigning for independence.
Violent actions have been on the rise in the province since
the Joint Security Committee (JSC), responsible for monitoring
the truce's implementation, withdrew its monitors to the Acehnese
capital, Banda Aceh, last week following attacks on its offices
and staff.