Military prepared to face Aceh rebellion

Military prepared to face Aceh rebellion

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) is ready to take
on the worst possible scenario resulting from clamoring
separatist demands, TNI Commander Adm. Widodo Adisucipto said on
Thursday.

Widodo said all forces in the TNI, ranging from troops in the
main commands to soldiers on the ground, are ready for rapid
deployment to "uphold and maintain the unitary and sovereignty of
Indonesia".

"TNI is ready at all times. But we will take measures in
accordance with the law because we are part of the law
enforcers," Widodo said after presiding over a ceremony held to
promote 23 officers at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East
Jakarta.

He was commenting on the intense tension in the restive
province of Aceh.

President Abdurrahman Wahid reiterated during a consultative
meeting with the House of Representatives that his government
would not tolerate any province attempting to secede from the
republic. Abdurrahman has dismissed the possibility of adopting
martial law in Aceh.

TNI has persistently been denounced for past human rights
violations while carrying out its duty of maintaining political
stability.

Commenting on the policy set by President Abdurrahman, Widodo
said the government had been very clear in trying to address the
Aceh issue.

"A solution can only be achieved through a reconciliation
dialog. Such dialog could be arranged if there is a conducive
situation, in which security disturbances end," Widodo said of
Abdurrahman's policy.

To cope with the separatist movement in Aceh, Widodo said TNI
would first of all appeal to armed civilians not to spark
violence or break the law.

"However, we will take stern measures if they are considered
necessary according to the law," Widodo said as quoted by Antara.

The Indonesian Military comprise some 300,000 personnel.

Separately, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudrajat said the
country's Army, Navy, Air Force and National Police were prepared
to enter Aceh at any time "in the context of maintaining the
republic's sovereignty".

He said TNI wanted the separatist rebels grouped in the Aceh
Freedom Movement (GAM) to surrender their weapons before
negotiations on Aceh began.

During the Ramadhan fasting month, Sudrajat said TNI would try
its best to exercise restraint in Aceh, although it would have to
take action against any attacks or the use of force by the
separatist group there.

In North Aceh, fresh violence broke the semblance of peace
when a warrant officer, Zulkifli, was shot dead in his house in
Pante Pisang village while eating a predawn meal with his family.

"Somebody knocked on the front door. When he (Zulkifli) opened
it, a man just sprayed bullets into him and ran away," a grieving
family member recollected.

Shortly after the shooting, a group of Zulkifli's fellow
Mobile Brigade personnel combed the adjacent area. They
occasionally fired shots to the air in despair. No casualties
reported in the incident.

They then set a car wash on fire in retaliation to a incident
on Monday in which two policemen were abducted by at least 10
unidentified men.

The Mobile Brigade personnel dispersed before sunrise.

"The two policemen, identified as Second Sgt. Jimmi and Second
Sgt. Syaiful Baruna were kidnapped at the car wash when they
stopped to fix a flat tire on their motorbike," North Aceh Police
chief Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal said on Thursday.

Syafei, however, feared that the two policemen were dead.
"We're still searching for them, but the chances are slim."

Despite local government officials and religious leaders'
calls to end violence and call a truce to respect the holy
fasting month, GAM leader Tengku Abdullah Syafii said his troops
would continue fighting security authorities.

"Those who keep on torturing and shooting people are sinners
that must be eradicated," Abdullah said on Wednesday night. He
was referring to a civilian's death reportedly at the hands of
police troops in Kayee Jatoh village, Pidie, earlier in the day.

Back in Jakarta, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab said
on Thursday that President Abdurrahman had asked Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad to facilitate a dialog with members of
GAM members living in Malaysia.

Abdurrahman made the request in October, soon after he was
elected Indonesian president, according to Alwi.

"The President asked Mahathir to use his influence in
facilitating a dialog with the brothers from Aceh, who think that
they're better of without Indonesia," he told reporters during a
news conference.

Mahathir has expressed support for an integrated Indonesia and
assigned the Malaysian ambassador here to follow up on the
request.

But Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Dato' Rastam M. Isa
separately said on Thursday that his government knew nothing
about the existence of GAM members living in Malaysia.

"There are hundreds of thousands of Indonesian people,
including from Aceh, Madura and Java, in Malaysia. We don't know
about their activities," Rastam told reporters after a meeting
with House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.
(50/51/edt/emf/jun)