Military presence 'hurts' Aceh poll process

JAKARTA (JP): The military presence in the troubled province of Aceh has created a climate of fear and hindered the election process, a private poll monitor said on Monday.

The Indonesian Poll Watch Network (JAPPIN) said in a statement residents were reluctant to register for the elections due to the heavy military presence at voter registration booths.

"In Pidie and North Aceh, military personnel guard voter registration booths at government offices so people are afraid... they are still traumatized by the military's repressive measures (during a decade-long operation to quell the separatist movement)," JAPPIN chairman Marzuki A.M. said in a statement.

Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh were the three regencies most- affected by a decade of military operations aimed at quelling the Free Aceh separatist movement. The operations were only halted last year.

The organization called on the government to remove military personnel from the areas.

"JAPPIN calls on the Indonesian Military and the police to pull out troops from Aceh so the Acehnese will be able to participate in the electoral process without fear," the statement said.

Acehnese have demanded the right to determine their future through a referendum, a demand which has grown in strength since security forces opened fire on protesters earlier this month, killing 41.

Resentment against the military and the government in Jakarta has also risen as revelations of widespread human rights abuses committed by soldiers during military operations have come to the surface.

A number of violent incidents aimed at political parties campaigning in Aceh have occurred since the campaign began on May 19. For example, a group calling for the boycott of elections in the province set two cars belonging to supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) and the Islamic Community Party (PUI) on fire on Sunday.

Reuters quoted student activist Aguswandi as saying on Monday that by going ahead with the elections, the government was courting disaster. He said low voter registration proved the Acehnese did not want elections in the province.

"Aceh is not ready for elections. The military is still very strong here and so are the feelings of trauma among the people. It still hurts," the secretary-general of Student Solidarity for the People (SMUR), Aguswandi, 22, said.

In March, SMUR deployed thousands of students on the streets of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh when President B.J. Habibie visited the capital to apologize for past human rights abuses committed by the military.

"We say boycott the elections. The elections come from the central government. We don't believe in the central government," Aguswandi said. "Freedom will give us back our self-esteem."

Across the country, the campaign has been accompanied by antagonistic feelings directed not only toward Golkar's nomination of Habibie as its presidential candidate, but also toward the party itself.

Golkar flags and banners have been torn down and burned throughout Java, including in the East Java cities of Surabaya and Madiun.

Golkar officials allege the people who vandalized Golkar's flags and banners wore shirts from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Madura office of the Independent Elections Monitoring Committee, Faruk Abdillah, said 1,000 ballots which had already been punched were discovered in Sumenep regency.

"On all of the ballots, Golkar Party was the one punched," he said. (30/45/nur/byg)