TNI admits to wrongdoings in Aceh

TNI admits to wrongdoings in Aceh

Tiarma Siboro and Nani Farida, Jakarta/Banda Aceh

The Indonesian Military (TNI) acknowledged on Wednesday that
troops in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam were guilty of hundreds of
violations, including rape and selling ammunition to rebels in
the province.

TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said 511 violations had
been recorded since a military operation was launched in Aceh in
mid-May 2003.

"When we launched the campaign, critics were already saying
the operation was going to be a dirty war. I do not hesitate to
admit them (violations)," Endriartono said at a press conference
on Wednesday.

The conference was called to brief the press on the ongoing
military campaign in Aceh, launched after Jakarta declared war
against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) last May.

"We have brought 429 violations involving soldiers to the
military court, while 82 others are being processed," Endriartono
said.

He also said that 57 soldiers had been sentenced to up to
three years in prison, while three others had been discharged
from the military.

Endriartono's admission comes just days after the National
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) submitted a report on
alleged gross human rights violations committed by both the TNI
and GAM since May 19, when President Megawati Soekarnoputri
declared a state of emergency in Aceh, where rebels have been
fighting for independence since 1976.

Endriartono said some 2,000 suspected GAM members had been
killed since May 19, another 2,100 arrested, 1,270 others had
surrendered and 1,045 weapons of various types had been seized
from rebels.

Early in the operation, the military estimated the number of
GAM rebels at 5,251 -- about 100 fewer than the number said to
have been killed, captured or surrendered -- equipped with about
2,000 weapons.

Endriartono also said that 130 soldiers had been killed and
289 wounded since the offensive began. The operation has so far
cost the state Rp 1.9 trillion (US$220 million).

The general said he did not object to plans by Komnas HAM to
launch a thorough investigation into alleged rights abuses in
Aceh since 2003.

"We welcome Komnas HAM to investigate rights abuses allegedly
committed by my troops while carrying out their duties (in Aceh),
but the investigation should not have a political motive. It
should also record violations committed by rebels," he said.

Komnas HAM has divided the alleged abuses into five categories
-- the displacement of persons, arbitrary arrests, forced
disappearances, rape and extrajudicial killings.

In Banda Aceh, the Aceh martial law administration said on
Wednesday that 139 members of the armed forces -- 133 from the
Army, three from the Navy and three from the Air Force -- had
been found guilty of violations since the military operation
began.

"Their violations varied from disciplinary offenses, rape, the
unauthorized firing of weapons, theft and bribery to selling
ammunition to GAM rebels," Aceh martial law administration
spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono said.

He said some soldiers had sold ammunition for Rp 35,000 per
bullet.

Ditya also said 43 soldiers had deserted their units "but none
of them had joined the rebels".

Endriartono also welcomed reported plans by GAM to release
hostages, saying the military would guarantee the safety of those
involved in the release of the captives.

GAM said on Tuesday it would free a television cameraman who
has been held for almost a year and 100 other "prisoners" next
week.