TNI has contingency plan for Aceh

TNI has contingency plan for Aceh

JAKARTA: National Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto said on Tuesday that TNI had a contingency plan, should
Indonesia withdraw from the peace deal it signed with Aceh
rebels, whom he charged with continuously violating the truce.

"If GAM (Free Aceh Movement) continues to violate the truce
and the violation reaches an intolerable level, TNI will propose
that the government withdraw from the peace agreement," he told
legislators at a hearing.

Indonesia and the rebel group signed a landmark peace deal in
December last year after more than two decades of war in the
resource-rich province.

The violence has declined in the two months since, but
sporadic killings continued on both sides.

Endriartono heaped the blame on GAM for failing to honor the
cease-fire agreement. He added that TNI had intensified sea and
land patrols to prevent GAM from taking advantage of the truce
agreement by consolidating its forces.

His statement comes as both sides are preparing for the second
stage of the peace deal. In this stage, GAM must store its
weapons at designated warehouses, while TNI must switch from its
current offensive stance into a defensive force. -- JP