TNI prioritizes security in Aceh

TNI prioritizes security in Aceh

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has stressed the importance of
enhancing security in Aceh during the election campaign beginning
on March 11, a decisive factor in evaluating the progress the
government has made under the martial law in the province that
could end in May.

TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said here on Monday good
security during the three-week election campaign would be a major
factor in the decision whether to extend martial law or downgrade
it to a civilian emergency situation.

"If everything goes well (during the campaign), this will make
it quite easy to do the evaluation and will pave the way for the
government to downgrade the martial law to a civil emergency
situation," the general said during a tour to observe election
preparations in Bali.

This is why the military saw no advantage for the government
to downgrade the martial law ahead of the elections, he said.

The military has claimed significant progress in quelling the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for separation
from Indonesia.

Many observers, including Acehnese religious and community
leaders, have called on the government to demilitarize areas of
Aceh that the military has claimed to be "clean of rebels", to
ensure the elections will go forward in a smooth and democratic
manner.

These observers have cautioned that while the elections in
Aceh may go forward smoothly in the sense that a majority of
voters will go to polling stations, they will not be free if
voters are unable to exercise their right to vote for the party
of their choice.

Some political analysts have speculated that most Acehnese
residents will not vote because they are disappointed with the
way the government has handled the Aceh issue.

In the past, many Acehnese were reluctant to cast their votes
because they had lost confidence in the government, while many
others were pessimistic a clean and democratic government would
be formed.

In the 1999 general election, the polls failed in several
regions because residents were angered by the lack of serious
action on the part of the government to settle the problems in
Aceh fairly and comprehensively.

After almost a year of martial law in Aceh, security and order
in the province has improved, with thousands of suspected rebels
killed and thousands of others arrested.

However, improvements in security have not been followed by
the necessary steps to resettle refugees, try human rights
abusers and implement emergency programs to improve the welfare
of the people.

The government declared martial law on May 19, 2003, with a
budget of Rp 1.3 trillion for six months. Martial law was then
extended for an additional six months last October.

In a visit to Aceh on Sunday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
proposed downgrading the martial law to a civilian emergency
situation in May, if conditions were right.

Endriartono said the situation in the province was gradually
returning to normal, but that did not mean martial law would
necessarily be lifted immediately.

He added that the President had not yet called him for a
briefing on the progress in Aceh.

Endriartono warned that despite the advances that had been
made, the separatist movement could come back stronger than
before.

"We should continue to work to root them out, otherwise they
will wake up and launch a more aggressive resistance," he said.