Navy ups security in Aceh waters

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Navy is tightening security in the seas adjacent to Aceh in a bid to minimize alleged weapons smuggling from abroad to Aceh, while senior ministers are in the restive province to promote peace there.

Chief of the Western Fleet of the Navy Rear Adm. Sumardjono told the media in Jakarta on Wednesday that the mobility of people entering and leaving Aceh by sea would be more tightly monitored.

"The marine patrols will also be stepped up by the deployment of four Navy warships and two spy airplanes," Sumardjono was quoted by Antara as saying.

The sea-monitoring area stretches from the seaport of Sabang to Sibolga in the neighboring province of North Sumatra, according to Sumardjono.

Indonesia has alleged that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist group receives supports from abroad and weapons have been smuggled via sea.

Reports said that the Thai and Malaysian authorities had foiled gun-smuggling efforts to Indonesia.

In a related development J.B. Kristiady, a political observer from the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), said on Wednesday that the use of force alone would be incapable of crushing the separatist movement. A comprehensive approach, including continuous dialog, was preferable, he said.

"So far, the military operation has deployed around 15 troop battalions, but it will not be able to solve the Aceh problem unless it is followed up by political dialog and government efforts to accelerate development to improve the social welfare of the Acehnese," he said. He also cited the failure of the 20- year military operation during the New Order regime as evidence that force had not worked in Aceh.

The visit

Meanwhile in the province capital of Banda Aceh, 13 high- ranking officials, including Cabinet ministers, led by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, held a closed meeting with leader of the security restoration and law enforcement operation in Aceh Insp. Gen. Yusuf Manggabarani, at police headquarters.

Reporters speculated that the meeting discussed the plan to release six GAM negotiators, detained by the police since July for alleged treason under Criminal Code Article 106 and for passport forgery under Article 236.

Later in the day another meeting hosted by Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh was held with local figures.

After the meetings Susilo told reporters that in principle the government of Indonesia would free the six detainees, "but police clearance had to be given beforehand."

If any of them was found to have violated the law, then legal proceedings would have to take place first.

Susilo reiterated that President Megawati Soekarnoputri had given the nod to the release of Tengku Nashiruddin bin Ahmad, Amni bin Marzuki, Amdi bin Hamdani, T. Kamaruzzaman, T. Mahmud and Sofyan Ibrahimm Tiba.

According to Antara, the dossiers of five of the six detainees had been completed and submitted by the police to the Aceh Provincial Prosecutors' Office on Tuesday, while the questioning of Ibrahim Tiba was already underway.

Susilo added that the ministerial team's visit to Aceh aimed to find immediate solutions to the complex problems in Aceh. The team also visited the North Aceh district town of Lhokseumawe, to meet ulemas and community leaders.

GAM claimed, however, that the visit was touristic.

Aceh has been a serious internal problem for Indonesia for a long time, since separatist groups took up arms to pursue their goal of establishing Aceh as an independent Islamic state.

A large number of Acehnese civilians, Indonesian military and GAM members have been killed in continual ambushes in all parts of the province since then.

Central government's alleged exploitation of the natural resources has worsened the situation. Killings and violence are rampant in most parts of the province, despite efforts by the government and GAM to stop the violence.

President Megawati has recently apologized for violations in the oil-rich province of Aceh. Her approval of the special autonomy bill for Aceh, in which the province is given the new name of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, was evidence of the seriousness of the government in settling the lingering conflict peacefully. (rms/50/sur)