'Military operations never achieve results'

'Military operations never achieve results'

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government needs more efforts to rebuild the trust of the
Acehnese people in the government and not a military operation as
such approaches have never succeeded in the country's history in
eradicating secessionist movements, observers say.

Former Special Forces officer Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsuddin and
sociologist Otto Syamsuddin Ishak suggested that the government
learn from its experience of the military operation to crush Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels between 1988 and 1998 that had instead
spurred the resistance movement in the resource-rich province.

"We have seen that despite terror and torture against the
Acehnese people during the 10-year operation in the province, the
secessionist movement there remains strong and Jakarta has failed
to win their hearts because human rights violations were not
properly solved," said Samsuddin, who is a former member of the
National Commission on Human Rights.

The examples of East Timor and Papua, Samsuddin said, provide
further evidence that a military operation would fuel demands for
independence. Indonesia lost East Timor in 1999.

Otto said that instead of resolving the problems, the use of
force would burden the country's already battered economy and
revive military dominance in the country, which goes against the
reform movement launched in 1998.

"On top of that, the military operation would result in human
rights violations and would expand the secessionist movement in
Aceh," Otto said.

The government has moved closer to announcing an operation to
restore security in Aceh, as the rebels have refused to comply
with Jakarta's demands for disarmament and their acceptance of
the unitary state of Indonesia as preconditions to resume peace
talks.

It will be the largest military operation conducted in
Indonesian history, with between 40,000 and 50,000 troops
involved.

In a show of strength, TNI has also readied 13 Scorpion tanks,
23 amphibious tanks, helicopters and warships to fight between an
estimated 8,000 and 10,000 rebels who are equipped with automatic
rifles plus grenade launcher mortars (GLM). Indonesia has also
moved two F-16 and four Hawk-200 jet fighters to an air base in
the North Sumatra capital of Medan from their home base in
Madiun, East Java.

Domestic and international pressure has been mounting on both
the government and GAM to give peace a chance.

With the May 12 deadline for GAM to accept the conditions for
peace talks drawing near, violence continues to flare up in Aceh.

Two soldiers, identified as First Pvt. Hendra Saputra and
First Pvt. Soekamto, were injured after some 20 rebels ambushed
and attacked them on their way to Bireuen from Lhokseumawe in
North Aceh, Antara reported on Thursday.

A local councillor, Husaini, was also attacked by a group of
armed people believed to be GAM members. Husaini escaped the
onslaught unharmed.

Samsuddin suggested that the government intensify intelligence
and territorial operations to build trust among the Acehnese
people, before it turns to an operation to enforce the law
against the rebels.

"The military operation to crush rebels will be drawn out,
without a guarantee it will achieve its goals," Samsuddin said.

It took Indonesian troops 10 years to quell an armed rebellion
waged by the Darul Islam in several areas in the country in the
1950s, while in Papua up until now the military has not managed
to stop the secessionist movement which began in the 1960s.

Otto said the government could emulate the "politics of
ethics" conducted by the Dutch colonialists.

He likened the government's campaigns for humanitarian
assistance, justice and restoration of local government services
to the politics of ethics.

"These campaigns must be maintained without the military
operation," he said.

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