U.S. supports RI integrity, warns of rights violations
JAKARTA (JP): The United States government maintained on Thursday its opposition to separatism such as that in Aceh, but warned the Indonesian government to be "conscious of the local people's human rights."
"Of course we support Indonesia's territorial integrity and oppose separatism. But we hope that Indonesia will support us, too (in respect of ExxonMobil)," U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert S. Gelbard told The Jakarta Post after signing an agreement for a school milk project at the Ministry of National Education here.
"And we believe that the (Indonesian) government needs to be very conscious of the people's human rights. But again, we oppose separatism ... we've made that very clear to the GAM (Free Aceh Movement) and the GAM has no support internationally. Zero (support)," Gelbard said.
"ExxonMobil unfortunately have had to close down temporarily because of the security conditions. They were being bombed, their airplanes were being attacked. One of their planes got hit with bullets while it was in the air, and there have been lots of mortar attacks so that the lives of the people have been put in serious danger.
"It is not accurate to say that this military offensive started because of ExxonMobil. I think this military offensive was already underway, already planned," he said.
Gelbard added that ExxonMobil obviously wanted to complete their contract of work, but at the same time they had to safeguard their employees' lives.
He said it was very important for the government in Jakarta to listen to the aspirations of the people in Aceh.
On the planned limited military operation in Aceh, Gelbard said "that is entirely for the Indonesian government to decide."
"What I support is an approach that embraces the people. And that shows the people why the Indonesian government cares about them," he said.
This included matters involving autonomy, economic development, justice and revenue sharing, all of which should be accelerated by the government, Gelbard said.
"I think, of course, there is hope for the settlement of the Aceh matter and we think we have some ideas on how it could be done. We have some aid programs we would love to be able to function in Aceh, but unfortunately some parts of the government have been blocking them ... BAKIN (The State Intelligence Coordinating Agency) did that," Gelbard added.
Separately, the chief of the Bukit Barisan Military Command overseeing Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau provinces, Maj. Gen. I.G. Purnawa, said on Tuesday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would dispatch its troops to the most critical areas in Aceh: North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie.
"We must try as hard as we can to protect the Acehnese and help them develop their environment. We will not compromise with GAM if they disturb our civic mission," Purnawa told reporters after attending a coordinating meeting on the TNI's villages program at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy.
Separately, Air Force chief Marshall Hanafie Asnan said the limited military operation in Aceh would involve all branches of the TNI: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
"I will assign my combat troops if the TNI so requests. We may also institute an air superiority strategy if GAM develops an air capability," he said after attending a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission I for defense, foreign and political affairs.
In Aceh, a headless body, which was later identified as that of Sulay M. Nur, 40, was removed from a ravine in Layen village, some 34 kilometers away from the capital of Banda Aceh on Thursday.
Suspected armed rebel gangs also wounded a policeman in restive Pidie regency and another in Banda Aceh.
An alleged GAM member, M. Ramli Saleh, died after allegedly resisting police arrest, Pidie Police chief Adj. Snr. Comr. Heru Budi Ersanto said on Thursday. (edt/02/51)