TNI considering reestablishing military command in Aceh

TNI considering reestablishing military command in Aceh

Lela E. Madjiah, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh

The Indonesian Military (TNI) is considering reestablishing
the Iskandar Muda military command, which would be an Aceh-
specific military command, if the Acehnese people agree to its
resumption, a military commander said here on Sunday.

Currently Aceh province is a part of the Bukit Barisan
Military command which encompasses a large portion of Sumatra and
includes more checks and balances than an Aceh-only command might
have to submit to. Proponents argue it gives the military greater
flexibility to keep the peace.

According to Brig. Gen. M. Djali Yusuf, military operations
commander in Aceh, the TNI leadership wanted to make sure that
the reestablishment of the command received the full support from
Acehnese people.

"The decision rests with the TNI leadership, but they have
tasked me with securing the support of the Acehnese people for
the plan," Djali told The Jakarta Post and SCTV television
station here on Sunday.

Djali was in Lhokseumawe to accompany Army Strategic Reserve
Command (Kostrad) Chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu and Army
Special Force (Kopassus) Commander Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini, who
were visiting troops in the province to celebrate Idul Fitri.

"We did not want another rejection," Djali said, while
referring to an aborted 1998 plan by then-Armed Forces commander
Gen. Wiranto to reestablish the Aceh command.

"The plan was rejected by the people of Aceh because it came
from us (TNI)," said Djali.

Aceh had a separate and exclusive military command until 1985,
at which time it was put under the Bukit Barisan military
command. Bukit Barisan oversees Aceh, North Sumatra, and Riau
provinces.

Djali said recent demands for the immediate reestablishment of
the Iskandar Muda command also came from Acehnese provincial and
regional administrations as well as legislators.

He said that while the plan would not be executed in the
immediate future, he had prepared for several options, including
expanding the current task force under his command or completely
building a new command, both of which would take time.

"I would suggest that we start with the current task force
that is enforced with additional staff," he said.

Earlier on Saturday Ryamizard denounced demands for the
withdrawal of troops from the troubled province.

"Aceh is part of the unitary Republic of Indonesia and TNI, as
a legitimate institution, has every right to be present in any
part of the country, including Aceh," Ryamizard emphatically
claimed during a visit to Takengon in the regency of Central
Aceh, where he talked to local residents and members of a joint
Kostrad-Kopassus unit stationed there.

The joint unit consists of Kopassus members and Kostrad's
Tontaipur surveillance platoon.

Abdullah, the head of Simpang Utara village, told Ryamizard
that most Gayo residents in the regency wanted a continued
presence of the troops because they had helped restore daily
activities.

Hamka of Samarkilang village, Syiah Utara subdistrict,
supported Abdullah's remarks, saying the troops' presence had
helped improve security in the regency.

"If possible we want more troops because if you leave, our
lives will be under threat (from members of the Free Aceh
Movement)," Abdullah said.

The villagers said before the arrival of the joint troops
there was no life in their villages and they could not even
harvest their crops for fear of attacks from suspected members of
the Free Aceh Movement.

Separately Ryamizard told the Post that the joint unit, which
was deployed following the inauguration of Kostrad's Tontaipur
surveillance platoon on Aug. 4, had scored a number of successes
in military operations against the armed separatists.

"The joint unit has proven effective, in that it has met its
targets, and we are planning to start another unit next year," he
said.