Yusuf Mangga Barani new Aceh police chief

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.