War in Aceh continues despite fasting month

War in Aceh continues despite fasting month

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on
Friday the Aceh operation would not be halted during the fasting
month of Ramadhan, as had been demanded by rights activists.

Endriartono said there would be no suspension of military
efforts to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) during the fasting
month, adding that a cease-fire would only give the separatists
the opportunity to regroup and rearm.

"It would be unacceptable if what we achieved during the five-
month operation was destroyed by a cease-fire. Instead, I hope
the rebels use the sacred (fasting) month as an opportunity to
return to the unitary state of Indonesia," Endriartono said after
visiting the province.

GAM also announced on Friday that it would continue fighting
during the fasting month, though it would restrict its actions to
self-defense.

"We will go on struggling for independence, and if the
military insists on continue attacking us we will put up a
fight," Teungku Jamaika, GAM spokesman for the Pasee region in
North Aceh, said.

Muslims across the world will begin the fasting month at the
end of October. The Indonesian government has not yet set the
official date for the beginning of Ramadhan, but the country's
second largest Muslim organization announced the holy month would
begin on Oct. 27.

Since its launch on May 19, the military operation in Aceh has
left over 1,000 people dead, either civilians, government
soldiers or guerrillas.

Hundreds of schools have been burned and thousands of people
have been forced to flee their homes.

The number of fatalities has raised concern among rights
activists from various non-governmental organizations, who
appealed to both sides to call a halt to the violence during the
fasting month.

"We hope that Ramadhan will provide the spirit for both sides
to strengthen their commitment to peace in Aceh. In this spirit
we urge both sides to exercise restraint and stop all violence
throughout the fasting month," the activists said in a joint
statement on Friday.

The activists came from numerous NGOs, including the Legal Aid
Institute in Aceh, the National Commission for Missing Persons
and Victims of Violence, and the Institute for Policy Research
and Advocacy.