Rp 863b allotted to secure conflict, border areas

Rp 863b allotted to secure conflict, border areas

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Defense has reduced its 2005 budget proposal for
security operations in conflict and border areas to Rp 863.31
billion (US$92.82 million).

Of that amount, Rp 616.32 billion would be allocated for
security operations in conflict areas, with the remaining Rp
246.99 billion for operations in border areas.

The ministry had previously asked for Rp 899.22 billion for
security operations in conflict and border areas, but agreed to
the lower that figure after a series of discussions.

Improved security in conflict and border areas has became a
serious concern of the government and the House of
Representatives following the endorsement of the Indonesian
Military Law last year.

Under the new law, military commands in several regions will
be relocated to border areas to prevent possible foreign
infiltrations.

Proposed security operations in border areas also are designed
to fight fish poaching, smuggling and other transnational crimes,
while security operations in conflict areas like Papua, Maluku
and Poso, Central Sulawesi, will be designed to restore peace.

Djoko Susilo, a member of House of Representatives Commission
I for defense affairs, said on Thursday his commission had
approved Rp 863.31 billion for border and conflict area
operations.

The commission also endorsed the allocation of another Rp
558.72 billion to the defense ministry to support security
operations in tsunami-ravaged Aceh, which remains under a state
of civil emergency.

In addition, the ministry proposed Rp 235.78 billion for
disaster relief efforts in Aceh and North Sumatra. Of that
amount, Rp 13.58 billion would be used for operational facilities
and the remaining Rp 222.20 billion for logistics.

For humanitarian operations after the tsunami, the defense
ministry has asked for 358.81 billion, including Rp 333.98
billion for the TNI.

However, after consulting with the Ministry of Finance, the
defense ministry cut the request from Rp 358.81 billion to Rp
243.35 billion.

The TNI had spent about Rp 2.3 trillion on military operations
to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh since May 19, 2003.

About 40,000 combat troops have been deployed for the military
operations, but this has not stopped the separatist guerrillas
from continuing their fight for an independent Aceh.