Yusuf Mangga Barani new Aceh police chief

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Only one day after the government announced its decision to reinstate the military command in Aceh, National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar installed a two-star general as the chief of both the operation for security restoration of the province and the provincial police.

Da'i installed on Friday Insp. Gen. Yusuf Mangga Barani the chief of the two security institutions replacing Brig. Gen. Ramli Darwis in a modest ceremony in Banda Aceh, the capital of the strife-torn province.

Da'i did not deny that the assignment of a two-star police general as chief of the security command and the provincial police had something to do with the government's plan to reinstate the military command for the province. He, however, denied that there was anything special with the installment of the new chief for the two institutions.

"It's just for practical reasons that we, today, installed the new chief of the security restoration command who is also the chief of the provincial police."

Military command (Kodam) and provincial police (Polda), according to Da'i, must be able to work hand in hand. "Kodam and the security command (which is under the provincial police chief) are two different institutions. Kodam has its own regulations while Polda also has its own regulations," he said.

Asked whether the operation for the restoration of security in Aceh would be taken over by the military with the reinstatement of the military command, Da'i said "it depends on the policy (that will be made later). But, for sure, up until now the operation will still be under the control of the police," he said.

He said further that the operation was still under the command of the police "because Aceh is still under the category of civilian order."

Quoting People's Consultative Assembly Decrees No. 6 and 7, Da'i said that in the state of civilian order, the TNI (the Indonesian Military) should be ready to help the police.

Despite strong objections from the Acehnese and human rights campaigners, the government announced on Thursday that it would reinstate the Iskandar Muda Military Command. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after a Cabinet meeting that the reintroduction of the military command was designed "to strengthen the TNI's ability to handle the separatist movement in the province."

Meanwhile, the violence has intensified over the past several days.

On Thursday alone, at least 18 people were killed in military operations launched in Pidie, South Aceh and North Aceh regencies.

Maj. Ertoto, spokesman for the military's Operational Executive Command in Banda Aceh said that five people, believed to be members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), were gunned down in two separate clashes in Alue Lhok village, Trumon district, South Aceh, some 500 kilometers south of Banda Aceh, on Thursday.

The military, according to Ertoto, confiscated rounds of ammunition and other military equipment belonging to GAM. There was no confirmation, however, from GAM.

In North Aceh, the military shot dead four people that they said were GAM members.

GAM spokesman Sofyan Daud confirmed that the four were members from his group, "But they are from an unarmed unit. They were our radio operators. The TNI troops have gunned down unarmed people."

Asked about this incident, Maj. Zaenal Mutaqin, TNI spokesman in North Aceh, said that he has not yet received information about it.

Unidentified people attacked the office of the Indonesian Journalists Association chapter in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, late at night on Thursday. A home-made bomb, planted near a window of the office, exploded at 11:30 p.m. destroying the window. However, there were no fatalities nor injuries in the attack.

Zainal Bakri, chairman of the local journalists association, condemned the attack and said he did not know the motive for the attack.

Commenting on Susilo's remark on Thursday giving GAM until Feb. 10, 2002 to stop armed resistance and continue dialog with the authorities, Sofyan Daud said that they could not heed the order.

"They cannot regulate us in using our weapons. We never use our guns for evil purposes. We use them for defense," Sofyan added.