Wiranto denies oppression in Aceh
Wiranto denies oppression in Aceh
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
denied on Tuesday the presence of security troops in Aceh was
causing residents to flee the volatile province.
Wiranto was refuting a statement by Aceh Governor Syamsuddin
Mahmud, who said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie here
on Monday the trauma of a decade-long military operation in Aceh
was so deep that many Acehnese fled the presence of security
forces.
"It's not true. TNI has never oppressed its own people.
(Residents) are just afraid of threats from separatist rebel
groups," Wiranto said before attending a National Defense and
Security Council meeting at Bina Graha presidential office.
He said TNI personnel in Aceh were grouped in the Riot
Reinforcement Troops under the National Police's coordination.
According to Wiranto, the current military operation aimed at
restoring order in the province is well planned and supervised by
field commanders.
"It's the rebel groups who force people to flee and provoke
them into unpredictable moves," Wiranto said.
Violence in the province has not abated even with the presence
of reinforcement troops in the territory. An elementary school
principal and teacher in Pidie regency were shot to death by a
group of unidentified people on Sunday night, hours after
military troops killed a suspected rebel in North Aceh regency.
Security concerns forced the General Elections Commission to
cancel the general election in Pidie and North Aceh.
Wiranto called on people not to heed groundless reports of
military abuses in Aceh.
"Does it make sense for TNI or the police to loot people's
belongings? The troops are out there in an arranged operation to
search for criminal groups who have in fact stirred unrest,"
Wiranto said.
He said rebel groups in Aceh were armed with weapons which had
been supplied from abroad. Most of the rebels' guns are Russian-
made AK-47s.
"Several times we arrested firearm smugglers and punished
them," he said.
In the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh, the Indonesian Council of
Ulemas (MUI) urged a religious approach to solving the problems
in the province.
Speaking at a MUI chapter meeting on Monday night, MUI deputy
chairman H Amidhan lashed out at the repressive and violent
measures taken by security forces in quelling separatist
activities in Aceh.
He said the strict security approach left "domestic problems"
in the province unresolved.
"It's a fact that many (Acehnese) have become widows and
orphans following the military operation. Their suffering has not
yet ended," H Amidhan said as quoted by Antara.
He said that besides asking both the government and the House
of Representatives to work toward finding a solution in Aceh, the
MUI had asked local administrations and ulema to help ease
residents' burdens. (prb/amd)