Military operations in Aceh to start soon

Military operations in Aceh to start soon

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed security personnel on
Tuesday to prepare for military operations in Aceh, setting the
stage for a showdown between government troops and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) in the troubled province.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after a limited Cabinet meeting
that Megawati had decided to use force if the rebels defied a
two-week deadline to disarm and renounce their demand for
independence.

"The President has instructed (the Indonesian Military) to
prepare for any military operations after the May 12 deadline,
but the exact time will be determined later," Susilo said.

The government has given GAM members a two-week deadline to
accept the special autonomy status for Aceh and disarm if they
want to salvage the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)
signed in Geneva, Switzerland last year.

The ultimatum was issued after the government angrily pulled
out of a Joint Council meeting after GAM moved the date back to
April 27, instead of April 25 as it had previously suggested.

The meeting, the highest under the COHA, was requested by the
government to resolve violations to the peace pact, which had
been proven to reduce violence in Aceh.

The rebels, who have been fighting for independence for
resource-rich Aceh since 1976, defied the ultimatum, saying that
they would return to the negotiating table on their own terms.

GAM, through peace facilitator the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC),
had requested a meeting after May 12 in Geneva. The government
insisted that the meeting be held before May 12 in Indonesia.

GAM has resorted to delay tactics in dealing with the Aceh
issue. When the government requested a Joint Council meeting in
Indonesia, GAM wanted it in Japan, where donor countries met last
year to mobilize restoration funds for battered Aceh.

When the government caved in to their demand, GAM leaders
insisted that the talks be held in Geneva on April 25. Later, GAM
pushed the date back to April 27, prompting the government to
withdraw and issue an ultimatum.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said
President Megawati would issue a number of presidential decrees
as legal grounds for any military operations in Aceh.

"Of course, the TNI will need a regulation to legalize the
operations, maybe through a presidential decree or some other
form," Endriartono said.

It was not immediately clear whether the decision meant that
the government was officially abandoning the peace pact signed
with GAM on Dec. 9.

Under COHA, any military operations would be justified only if
GAM fails to disarm itself by July 9, 2003, when the rebels were
expected to be completely disarmed.

Susilo said any military operations would not prevent peace
talks with the GAM rebels.

"We are still open to holding peace talks with GAM after the
(May 12) deadline lapses. It will not restrain us from going
ahead with the military operations," Susilo said.

Meanwhile in Aceh, violence continued unabated with the
shooting death of provincial legislator Amiruddin Adam of the
United Development Party (PPP) at Mesjid village in East Aceh
regency on Tuesday.

Another clash also broke out in Reng-reng village in Pidie
regency when some 15 GAM members became involved in a gunfight
with government troops. Antara reported that two GAM members were
killed in the clash.

TNI has deployed more troops to the province in the past week
with the recent addition of 1,200 marines to take part in
rebuilding the province.

There are about 12,000 policemen and 26,000 TNI soldiers
stationed in the province.

In an interview with SCTV television station later on Tuesday,
Susilo also disclosed that there was a possibility that the
government would release HDC, the peace broker of the Dec. 9
agreement, from its facilitation role.

In the Cabinet meeting, the government also decided to
officially ask the Swedish government to prohibit its citizens,
Hasan Tiro and his group, from leading GAM.

"We will officially ask the Swedish government to ban its
citizens from leading a separatist group in our country,"
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said.

The diplomatic attempt may not yield the desired result as the
Swedish government allows the country to grant political asylum
to foreigners seeking the facility.

Indonesia also does not have an extradition treaty with
Sweden, making it impossible for Jakarta to ask for tough
measures against Tiro and his group, who have been living in
Sweden since 1979.