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)