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.