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.