U.S. supports RI integrity, warns of rights violations

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)