LAKSAMANA.Net, December 8, 2003 12:05 AM
Review - Regions: Saracens, Scorpions & Hawks
Laksamana.Net - More than 1,100 Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas have been
killed since Jakarta declared martial law in the province on May 19 and launched an
offensive involving 40,000 troops and police to 'crush' the rebels.
Another 2,000 have been arrested or surrendered and 485 weapons have been seized,
but no top rebel leaders have been arrested during the huge military operation.
However, the new military chief in Aceh, Brigadier General George Toisutta, said
Monday (1/12/03) he expects to catch top rebel leaders.
Toisutta, who took over last week from Maj. Gen. Bambang Darmono as Aceh's
operational military commander, said "to capture the leaders is not easy but it is not
something impossible. Sooner or later, I am very confident that they will be captured".
British-built war aid
A press release from TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, drew attention
to the use of British-built Saracen armored vehicles by the military, claiming the
vehicles have been photographed on patrol with elite Kostrad troops of the army's
strategic command,
The Saracens are meant for shifting troops around battlefields but TAPOL suggests
that any use of the vehicles at all in the military offensive is a breach of earlier
assurances given by Jakarta that British equipment would not be used for offensive or
counter-insurgency purposes.
"We are dismayed that British equipment is playing such a key role in a conflict
which cannot be solved by military means and which has already claimed hundreds of
civilian lives," said Paul Barber, a spokesman for TAPOL.
Hawk jets have already been used in Aceh and twelve Scorpion tanks made by
Coventry-based Alvis, rubber-stamped for export by the then newly elected Labor
government just as it was promising to pursue an ethical foreign policy, are also being
deployed in the war.
In December 1996, the Conservative Trade Secretary Ian Lang granted an export
license for 50 Scorpions for Jakarta, all fitted with 90mm guns and two machine guns.
But the deal - like the controversial sale of Hawk jets - was not complete when Labor
won the 1997 election. Human rights groups pleaded with then Foreign Secretary
Robin Cook to revoke the licenses.
Cook, who had promised that Labor would introduce an ethical foreign policy, insisted
that the export was permissible because the tanks would not be used for internal
repression.
Refugees galore
The campaign is causing widespread civilian loss of life, gross violations of human
rights and the destruction of Aceh's public infrastructure.
A spokesman for the Humanitarian Center at the Aceh Social Affairs office,
Burhanuddin, said Monday (1/12/03) that some 6,402 Acehnese are still living in
camps in several districts in the province, afraid to return to their homes due to
security concerns.
The numbers of refugees still in camps are 3,925 in South Aceh, 49 in Central Aceh,
294 in Southwest Aceh, 285 in Aceh Tamiang and 1,849 in East Aceh, Burhanuddin
said.
"They have been living in the camps for more than five months," he added.
Some 122,260 Acehnese people fled their hometowns and took shelter in camps after
the military offensive was launched.
GAM celebrates anniversary
Despite a massive military and police presence GAM on Thursday (4/12/03)
commemorated the anniversary of its self-proclaimed independence 27 years ago.
Violence continued throughout the day across Aceh and claimed several lives.
Two Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers were seriously wounded during an armed
clash in Aceh Besar regency. In South Aceh, a firefight between the military and GAM
resulted in the death of Second Pvt. Yaser Arafat.
Soldiers lowered separatist Crescent-Star flags hoisted in several villages in East and
South Aceh regencies and troops were deployed to suspected GAM strongholds.
The situation remained calm across the province. Shops were open and public
transport was operating.
Aceh military operation spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki claimed three GAM
rebels were shot dead and four others were arrested during a raid in Tanah Luas
subdistrict in North Aceh.
In another raid in Bireum Bayeun area in East Aceh, three GAM fighters were killed,
while another one was killed during a raid in Seunobok village, East Aceh regency.
Despite the fighting, GAM claimed to have held ceremonies simultaneously in
separate undisclosed locations across East Aceh and Sabang.
"Due to the situation, we only held a modest flag-hoisting ceremony," GAM
spokesman Teungku Zainal Abidin said.
Nearly 1,000 GAM fighters across the province took part in the celebration, Abidin
said,
TNI egged people on to fight the rebels. Some 7,000 members of the People's Front
Against Separatist GAM (FPSG) gathered in Bireuen regency and burned GAM flags
and replicas of GAM founder Hassan Tiro.
Tense week for Papua
A December 1, 1961 proclamation by Papuan tribal chiefs declaring independence
from Dutch colonial rule failed and Jakarta seized the province two years later.
The government had banned attempts to mark the anniversary, including the hoisting
of separatist flags. More than 1,100 extra troops and police were deployed to enforce
the ban with orders to shoot rioters on sight.
But on Monday (1/12/03) the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag flew proudly outside
the home of murdered separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay's home in Sentani near
Jayapura, in a muted celebration of the anniversary of the independence proclamation.
Three youths from the pro-independence Papua Task Force raised the flag early in the
morning to the strains of an independence hymn, "O Papua, My Land"
Forty-five minutes later, police arrived and hoisted the red-and-white Indonesian
national flag, 'Merah-Putih' on the same pole outside Theys' former home.
Two hours later a joint police and military force lowered the flag by cutting its rope
with scissors after 'negotiating' with the pro-independence committee.
Participants, including They's son Boy Eluay, the task force commander, shouted out
demands for independence.
There were no arrests and no reports of violence though police later seized the flag as
evidence while searching for the three men who raised the flag.
In Jakarta, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said those attending the flag raising
should face punishment.
"In Indonesia, there should be no other flag flying but the Red-and-White," he was
quoted as saying.
There were no reports of other flag-raisings in Papua though police had earlier arrested
42 activists involved in a similar flag-raising ceremony on November 27 at Manokwari
in the west of the province.
Seven will be charged with treason under article 106 of the Criminal Code, which
carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Police in the central Javanese city of Semarang on Wednesday (3/12/03) arrested four
students from Papua province after they raised the banned Morning Star flags Monday
These four could also be charged with treason, police in Semarang say.
Tensions in the province were already high after a soldier was stabbed to death by a
mob of 300 people on the eve of the unofficial Independence Day.
That killing sparked fears of yet more violence between the separatists and security
forces, which have been accused of human rights abuses, and renewed fears of an
Aceh-style conflict in the province.
Guterres forms militia
Papuan rights group Elsham reported on Monday that feared militia leader Eurico
Guterres has formed a militia group, the Laskar Merah Putih, or Red and White
Warriors, in the mining town of Timika.
Guterres, 29, was sentenced to 10 years' jail in November last year for instigating
attacks on pro-independence leaders during East Timor's bloody referendum in
August 1999, but was released pending an appeal.
Elsham claims Guterres already has 200 members formed by joining forces with
Muslim militia groups, mainly non-Papuan migrants from Maluku, Timor and Sulawesi
who live in Papua. Most indigenous Papuans are Christians.
"The Papuan community is afraid this group will be used to create a conflict," said
Elsham's head, Aloysius Renwarin, adding that Guterres was continuing to sign up
members and had even asked the local government in Timika to provide the group with
an office.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo confirmed Eurico's plan to open a branch
of his organization, saying the militia leader had submitted a request to the provincial
police for permission.
"I would not take a hasty decision on this matter as we are studying the group's
purpose here. If it is to support security, it's no problem. But if its presence is to
foment disturbances, we will not issue a permit," Utomo said.
Nonetheless the plan is to be discussed in a security meeting with senior officials in
Papua.
Elsham said it suspected Guterres might have the backing of either the central
government in Jakarta or local militias to intimidate Papuans who oppose their
province being split.
Jakarta's decision to split the province has already resulted in several clashes and
Papua Council leader Jhon Ibo said on Wednesday (3/12/03) a meeting would be held
on December 15 to discuss the fate of the province.
Ibo said the council would discuss four options that could help the government settle
the future of the province, including the establishment of the Papuan People's
Assembly and a ballot to determine whether Papuans agreed to Law No. 45/1999 on
the province's partition.
The Constitutional Court is currently weighing up a demand for a judicial review of the
law.
Some 8,000 Indonesian troops and 9,000 police are already stationed in Papua with
another 2,600 on their way. The Indonesian Human Rights Committee claims that the
military has also formed local militias, including the Barisan Merah Putih. The NGO
claims that among these militiamen are native Papuans, who are used to "carrying
out some of TNI’s dirty work and acting as agents provocateur".
Since Megawati Sukarnoputri became president in July 2001, Jakarta has pursued an
increasingly tough line against any signs of separatist sentiment in Papua. She was
installed in office with the help of the military, in part, because she had promised to
reverse the move by her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid to offer concessions and
negotiations to separatist movements in Papua and Aceh.
In October 2001, the House of Representatives (DPR) passed a bill aimed at giving
the province more autonomy and a greater share of tax revenues. It also allowed for
the flying of an independence flag and playing of a national anthem.
In November 2001, four months after Megawati assumed the presidency,
pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay was found murdered.
Seven of TNI's elite Kopassus Special Forces troops have been jailed over Eluay's
death, though army chief Ryamizard Ryacudu later described them as "national
heroes".
Hard liner appointed
The appointment of a former head of Indonesian police in East Timor,
Inspector-General Timbul Silaen, to head the Papuan police force, has caused alarm
and despondency.
Silaen, 55, will replace Inspector-General Budi Utomo, who will move to take over the
police command in East Kalimantan province. The move has sparked speculation that
Jakarta wants a strong police chief to put down the separatist movement in the
province.
Silaen headed the Indonesian police in East Timor from June 1998 until September
1999, when mayhem broke out after the pro-independence results of a UN-held poll
were announced.
After the vote, police and soldiers backed by militia proxies waged a bloody campaign
of vengeance, killing more than 1,000 people and destroying much of the territory.
Silaen was declared not guilty of all charges by a panel of five judges of an ad hoc
Human Rights Tribunal in the Central Jakarta District Court in 2002 in relation to the
killing of 27 East Timorese in the Ave Maria church in Covalima's capital city of Suai
on September 6, 1999.
The judges said they had no evidence linking Timbul to the widespread, systematic
murder and torture.
Since then, a U.N.-led team of prosecutors in East Timor has indicted Silaen, and
several other officials, over their alleged role in the violence. However, East Timorese
courts have no power to convict in absentia and Jakarta has said that it won't extradite
those charged to East Timor.
Poso Troop Reinforcements
Unidentified gunmen killed four migrants from Bali on the outskirts of Poso city late
Saturday (28/11/03), fueling fears of a resurgence of sectarian violence. A
Muslim-Christian peace accord in 2001 ended two years of fighting that killed 1,000
people in the province.
Hundreds of extra police were drafted on Monday into the province, about 1,600
kilometers northeast of the capital, Jakarta, bringing their strength up to some 2,200.
Police also disposed of a bomb found in a burned-out house - the second explosive
device discovered in three days. A bomb blew up at a market Saturday, but no one
was injured.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said the situation was under control,
but was fluid and potential dangers remain."
A Christian pastor and his driver were killed in the Poso area last month, and 12
Christians were gunned down there in October.
Police have killed seven people and detained 19 others over the killings, which
security officials have blamed on the al Qaeda-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.
They have also hinted that a fugitive wanted in last year's Bali bombings, Dulmatin,
orchestrated the October killings to destabilize the country and fire up young Muslim
militants for a holy war.
Military and Police Clash
A soldier and a policeman were wounded on Thursday (4/12/03) in shoot-outs
between troops and police near the Luwu Police station in the town of Palopo, South
Sulawesi. Witnesses said gun-toting soldiers fired at the station, less than 200
meters from the Army's Yonif 721 Unit office.
Police fired back but the clash ended soon after Army commanders arrived at the
scene. Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds in the attack, which police said was
initiated by the soldiers.
Three hours later police Mobile Brigade officers retaliated by firing on the military
building. No injuries were reported in this incident.
Before the shootings soldiers had attacked two policemen, First Brig. Daniel Pabisa
and Second Brig. Luther Mangape, at the Palopo bus terminal.
South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Yusuf Manggabarani and provincial military
chief Maj. Gen. Suprapto held talks to prevent more clashes but TNI chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto made light of the incidents, saying, "if our society is sick, then
our troops are sick too."
"Once in a while it is okay, but we will settle it and deal with the problem," he said on
Thursday.
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