TNI concerned by weapons entering Aceh

TNI concerned by weapons entering Aceh

SURABAYA (JP): Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen.
Wiranto claimed on Friday there was a recent increase in weapon
smuggling from overseas to Acehnese separatist guerrillas.

He did not go into detail, but said: "TNI, with all its might,
is continuing its effort to prevent the flow, so the Aceh
question need not be protracted."

Speaking after installing Vice Adm. Achmad Sutjipto as the
navy chief to replace Adm. Widodo A.S. here, Wiranto denied there
were more Crack Riot Troops (PPRM) deployed in the troubled
province than the number of personnel sent there during the 10-
year-long military operation which began in 1989.

"It can't be (higher). During the military operation, all of
the personnel deployed were military members. Now police officers
(are posted there)," he said.

"It was a military operation then, but what we have now is a
public order operation. Its commander was a member of the
military then, but a police officer now."

Wiranto explained that 600 marines were sent to Aceh recently
to detect and prevent the smuggling. "The marines are more able
(for the task) than the Army. I am sure that with other tasks,
too, they would succeed."

Antara quoted Wiranto as saying marines were needed because
most of the smuggling was through coastal areas.

"For security in coastal areas, the force to do the job is the
marines. The marines do not spend their time hanging out in
downtown areas in cities."

Meanwhile, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said the
demands that the PPRM be pulled out of Aceh because they merely
exacerbated the situation was the result of propaganda of the
separatist Free Aceh Movement.

"In actuality, the Aceh residents want security to be
restored," he said as quoted by Antara. "We all know the GPK use
weapons and intimidate the people," he said, using the military's
name for the separatists.

"These (demands) are their propaganda."

He blasted those responsible for spreading rumors the PPRM
wreaked havoc in the province. "It is impossible the TNI and the
National Police would create chaos."

In Jakarta, a group of activists and Acehnese demonstrated on
Friday demanding the military pullout from Aceh. Calling
themselves the Students' Solidarity for Aceh Case (Somaka), the
some 80 youths marched from the Tani monument in Central Jakarta
to the nearby ground of National Monument (Monas) carrying five
mock coffins.

In Sumedang, West Java, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid
reiterated that neither the government nor the military would
yield to the pressure for the military pullout from Aceh. He said
the military personnel are bound by their oath to protect the
people and the national sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Antara reported from the capital Banda Aceh that
the liaison office of the National Commission on Human Rights in
Aceh would be upgraded to a representative office in August.

It was confirmed during the arrival of commission members,
Saparinah Sadli and Miriam Budiardjo in the province on
Wednesday, head of the commission's liaison office, Dahlan, said
on Friday.

"They came here to follow up on the plan to upgrade the
liaison office into a representative office," Dahlan said, adding
the commission members also visited the location of the new
office.

He said the representative office would be staffed by youth
leaders and activists who helped reveal human rights violations
which occurred in Aceh.

He declined to name the head of the representative office.

Dahlan noted the commission decided to open a representative
office because human rights abuses continued to occur, even after
the military operation in the province was halted last year.

The liaison office was set up early this year following
revelations of human rights violations in the regencies of Pidie,
North Aceh and East Aceh.

The opening of the representative office will enable staff
members to act on reported violations without needing to relay
them to the commission's headquarters in Jakarta.

He explained that the liaison office was not empowered to
settle human rights issues without first reporting them to the
main headquarters.

In the past few months, an estimated 75,000 Aceh residents
have fled their homes to mosques and schools, citing military
violence. Volunteers fear many more will be displaced because
there is no sign of withdrawal of troops.

Ethnic clashes also have occurred periodically in West
Kalimantan. Earlier this year, more than 200 people were killed
and thousands forced to flee to refugee centers.

From the capital city of Pontianak, West Kalimantan Police
chief Col. Chairul Rasyid said a "sweep" of firearms in the
province would continue until about a week before the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in November.

"One week before the session, the owners and makers of those
firearms must surrender the weapons. If they fail to abide by the
deadline, tough actions will be taken," he said as quoted by
Antara. (04/43/nur/swe)