LAKSAMANA.Net, December 22, 2003 12:14 AM
Review - Regions: Aceh Election Delay Mooted
Laksamana.Net - Latest figures from the military suggest more than 2,000 suspected
rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been arrested or have surrendered and
more than 1,100 others have been shot dead since the war to 'crush' them was
launched in May.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri decided in November to extend martial law for
another six months, arguing that GAM was still strong and could pose security
threats before, during and after the elections next year.
Rights activists and political observers have criticized the decision, fearing that a
massive deployment of government soldiers would affect the democratic climate
across the territory.
The military (TNI) said on Monday (15/12/03) that the presence of foreign teams
monitoring next year's elections in the province was not necessarily needed.
Aceh Martial Law Administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya said that in accordance
with the country's legal system, the government had established bodies to deal with
elections, including the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Elections
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), therefore "we should believe in those bodies
instead of relying on foreigners."
"Indonesia is a great country, so why don't we trust our people to deal with our
internal problems? What is good for foreigners is not necessarily good for us," Endang
was quoted as saying.
Legitimacy of elections
Noted human rights campaigner Todung Mulya Lubis Tuesday (16/12/03) called for a
delay in the 2004 general elections pending the lifting of martial law.
He was quoted as saying that the ongoing military offensive would not be conducive
for the Acehnese to express their political aspirations, a situation that "will only trigger
questions on whether or not the elections in Aceh are legitimate."
Todung, along with several members of non-governmental organizations concerned
with fair elections in the country, had joined Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on a visit to Aceh to get first hand
information about the situation in the province ahead of the elections.
TV crew driver freed
Marines in an ambush in East Aceh rescued a driver from the RCTI television crew
held hostage by GAM for almost six months on Wednesday (17/12/03).
Following an exchange of gunfire in Simpang Ulin, Rahmatsyah, 20, was taken to the
Aceh Military Operation command headquarters in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh.
The marines ambushed an area believed to be a GAM camp in Pantee Bayam,
Simpang Ulim that is under the supervision of GAM leader Ishak Daud. In the crossfire
Rahmatsyah and nine GAM members crawled for shelter. As the nine fled,
Rahmatsyah remained crouching, shouting to the troops: "My name is Rahmat. I'm
the driver of the RCTI journalists."
The journalists, Ersa Siregar and Ferry Santoro, are still held hostage, and the
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Thursday "the government's delay in
facilitating these journalists' release is inexcusable and inexplicable." Along with
several other Acehnese, including the wives of two TNI officers, they have been held
hostage since June 29.
Death Toll Rolls On
Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise relentlessly. Two rebels were shot dead
during an army raid on a suspected hideout at Idie Rayeuk in East Aceh on Monday
(15/12/03). Another was shot dead in a clash with a military patrol at Mutiara Timor in
Pidie district the same day, provincial military spokesman Ahmad Yani Basuki said.
A girl aged 11 was shot dead and two other civilians were injured Tuesday (16/12/03)
by crossfire between the guerrillas and paramilitary police. The incident happened in
the Nisam area of North Aceh. Two suspected rebels were also killed in East and
North Aceh on Tuesday.
Two sergeants from the army strategic reserve Kostrad were ambushed and killed
after making a call at a public telephone kiosk at Meukek in South Aceh. The military
said the incident was caused by the soldiers' negligence.
However, danger money may be in the pipeline. A parliamentary team monitoring the
state of emergency has demanded a rise in the special daily allowance for troops and
police in the province from Rp21,000 ($2.5) to Rp35,000.
The team also asked the government to provide metal detectors, flak jackets and
more helicopters for the forces, Antara reported.
More pressure on Sweden
On Tuesday (16/12/03) a joint team from National Police headquarters and the
Department of Foreign Affairs left for Sweden to hand over new evidence about the
involvement of GAM leader Hasan di Tiro in the violence in Aceh.
"The team will present an additional dossier, proof and information about Hasan di
Tiro's communication and involvement with GAM. We will be taking some old and
some fresh evidence that has not been given to Sweden yet," said team leader
Brig-Gen Arianto Sutadi.
The team is scheduled to be in Sweden for six days. An investigation into Tiro and his
colleagues by the Stockholm public prosecutor, under orders from the Swedish
government, has yet to be finalized.
The international rights group Human Rights Watch, in a report Thursday (18/12/03),
accused the military of pursuing a campaign of killings, kidnappings and beatings of
civilians in the province. The New York-based group has criticized the imposition of
martial law in Aceh, saying that under martial law, the government and military had
effectively barred independent and impartial observers (including diplomats), as well as
international humanitarian aid workers, from the province.
The report said refugees interviewed in Malaysia had reported extra judicial
executions, forced disappearances, beatings and arbitrary arrests.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda criticized the report and dismissed its
suggestion that the operations in Aceh were secret. "There's nothing secret about it,"
he said, citing the government's announcement of the beginning of the "integrated
operations" on May 19, which were said to include a humanitarian operation in
conjunction with the military offensive under martial law.
Also on Thursday the state Antara news agency reported that residents in Aceh Jaya
in the west of the province have set up a branch of an anti-rebel civilian group, and
quoted branch leader Hasbi Yunus as saying the rebels had ten days to surrender or
face a hunt by his men who are "armed with spears and swords."
Similar groups have been set up elsewhere in the province. The military supports the
groups but denies any hand in setting them up.
Papuans Demand Law be Revoked
Papuans concluded a two-day meeting Tuesday (16/12/03) recommending that
Jakarta speed up the establishment of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) as
mandated by the special autonomy law, and revoke controversial Law No. 45/1999 on
splitting it into three smaller provinces.
Almost 1,000 Papuans, including the Papuan women's discussion group, tribal
leaders' group, local figures' group, intellectuals and youth groups attended the
meeting which was opened by Papua Governor J.P. Salossa. He called on all
Papuans to 'articulate their thoughts' on the division policy.
"I believe that we, Papuan people, have to share all things regarding this land by
promoting dialog. If I, as the governor, am confused on how to govern this territory
following the controversial policy, then how about my people?" he asked rhetorically.
"On the one hand, the central government will consider that I'm standing against it if I
refuse to implement the policy, but on the other hand, people may think that I am
violating the mandate to enforce the autonomy law in this land," Salossa said.
Religious leader Rev. Socrates Sofyan Yoman said special autonomy was
supposedly an answer from the central government to mounting demands from
Papuan people for independence.
"Special autonomy status, as stipulated by Law No. 22/2001, should be a political
compromise between the government and Papuan people. We agree to accept the
policy even though we have to pay a huge price for it, which is to drop our dreams of
being independent."
According to the special autonomy law, the presence of the MRP is aimed at making
the province special as compared with other provinces in the country, because the
proposed body has a vital political function in determining development policies and
the future of the country's easternmost province.
The proposed body should consist of representatives from local religious leaders,
tribal leaders and women.
The MRP has not yet been established and Jakarta is now reviewing the political role
of the proposed assembly.
The decree was to implement Law No. 45/1999 on the formation of West and Central
Irian Jaya and North Maluku provinces and of Paniai, Mimika, Puncak Jaya and
Sorong regencies.
The policy triggered weeklong clashes between groups supporting and opposing the
partition, resulting in the death of at least five people and injury to a dozen others.
"If the government ignores our recommendations, we shall then ask for a dialog
involving national and international elements to seek solutions over problems here,
including freedom demands from most of the Papuan people," warned Abina.
The government argues that dividing Papua into three provinces will contain the
separatist movement, improve the welfare of locals and create more opportunities for
them to secure positions in local administrations.
Papua council speaker John Ibo said he would convey the recommendations to the
government, hoping the latter would appreciate the growing aspirations in Papua.
Like the governor, Ibo was among those opposed to the partition.
Ibo urged the government to cope with the arguments for and against the policy
correctly by brushing aside their own interests; otherwise, it could spark new
problems in Papua.
"We hope that after hearing arguments from all the Papuan people, we can construct
a strategic policy to develop this land and promote harmony among communities," he
said on the sidelines of the meeting.
Joint Operations in Poso
A joint police and military force in Central Sulawesi is about to start
search-and-seizure raids for sharp weapons in the regencies of Poso and neighboring
Morowali to prevent retaliatory attacks against a well-armed hit-and-run gang that has
been terrorizing Christian villages.
Thousands of police and military personnel have been deployed across the two
regencies following a series of attacks in the last two months, and there are now
some 3,400 police and soldiers on guard at security posts along the trans-Sulawesi
highway in Poso and Morowali.
During the operations, security forces will inspect all drivers and passengers traveling
to and from Poso and Morowali to check for weapons.
The planned raids are aimed at capturing the remaining suspects blamed for the
recent attacks in Poso and Morowali, which killed at least 20 people between October
and December, as well as preventing those seeking revenge.
The death toll includes at least eight people who died in the latest attacks in
November and December.
The worst incident since the December 2001 peace deal was inked, hit Poso on
October 12, this year, when masked gunmen launched pre-dawn attacks on three
mainly Christian villages of Saatu, Pantangolemba and Pinedapa, killing at least nine
people.
A number of suspects have been captured, some have been killed in shootouts with
the police, but several others remain at large.
Police have said the simultaneous attacks were planned to destabilize Poso after the
peace deal.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who brokered the peace pact,
has said the attackers were "well-trained" and able to carry out the attacks efficiently.
The police have accused the attackers of being members of, or linked to, Jemaah
Islamiyah, a regional terror network blamed for a wave of bombings across the
country.
Treason Charges for Maluku Separatists
Prosecutors charged on Friday (19/12/03) nine separatists in Maluku province with
treason for allegedly agitating and encouraging the establishment of a South Maluku
emergency authority.
The prosecutors demanded that the Ambon District Court sentence the defendants,
from the secessionist South Maluku Republic (RMS) movement, to between 13 and
15 years in prison.
Chief prosecutor A. Sopahelewakan was quoted as saying that the defendants had
held more than 10 "secret meetings" since January last year to discuss the
establishment of an RMS emergency authority.
Police arrested them in April 2003, when they held a secret meeting at a church.
During the meetings, the group sought a way to revive Maluku sovereignty.
"The defendants' activities are categorized as a betrayal of the Unitary Republic of
Indonesia. Indeed, they could potentially create political and security instability
across the country," Sopahelewakan told the trial, presided over by judge Kharlison
Harianja.
"One thing that we must emphasize is that the province is still prone to sectarian
conflict following the prolonged clashes between two communities here. The fragile
peace should not be affected by such activities like those committed by the
defendants," the prosecutor added.
"The defendants have continued claiming themselves to be RMS nationals instead of
Indonesian citizens. They have also failed to respect the court during the trial. And
we, the prosecutors, consider it an incriminating factor," Sopahelewakan said.
Maluku and North Maluku provinces were hit by sectarian conflict for about three
years from 1999. Some 6,000 people were killed in the fighting. Peace between the
two warring factions was largely restored after the government brokered a peace
accord in 2002.
During the trial prosecutors showed evidence including guidelines on the
organization's structure, 13 copies of an independence proposal written in Dutch, and
an RMS provisional constitution.
The group denied being linked to another secessionist group, the Maluku Sovereignty
Front (FKM) led by Alex Manuputty, who was sentenced by the North Jakarta Court
to three years in prison on January 28, 2003, for plotting rebellion.
An appeal court later increased his sentence to four years in jail. Manuputty, however,
remains free after he appealed the verdict to the Supreme Court. He was released on
November 8 and is now reportedly in the United States at the invitation of a number of
Human Rights Organizations who have arranged for him to deliver several lectures and
even to address the UN next February.
Vice President Hamzah Haz has said the government would pursue a diplomatic
approach to extradite Manuputty, who is believed to be seeking support for his Maluku
independence campaign.
Islamic leaders are reported to have urged the Indonesian Ulamas Council (MUI) to
take a stance on what they say is the government's ambiguity in letting Manuputty go
free while militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir remains in detention.
Corruption Claims in Plane Purchases
East Kalimantan Governor Suwarna and his administration have bought five
Australian-made GA8 Airvan aircraft worth Rp 27.5 billion ($31.2 million). The aircraft
will be used to assist officials at the gubernatorial office in handling their tasks, and to
provide transport for local people living in remote areas
But on Thursday (18/12/03) the East Kalimantan Legislative Council disclosed an
alleged markup in the procurement of the planes following a hearing between
councilors from Commission C and Melati Bakti Satya (MBS), a company run by the
local administration and appointed to deal with the procurement of the planes.
Allegations of corruption surfaced after the councilors learned that the local
administration failed to present a financial report detailing the fund allocation, including
the profit margin received by local partners of the Australian-based company. The
latter has formed a partnership with another company, PT Airvan Dirgantara Indonesia
(PT ADI).
"I don't know who has committed fraud. It could be PT ADI, the contractor or the local
administration, or even the Australian company," a member of Commission C, Rikmo,
said after the hearing.
"We are now investigating the case to find out who has benefited from the
transaction."
The Australian company publishes its prices on its website and there it lists the
aircraft bought by East Kalimantan at only Rp3.5 billion each, while the planes
passed hands in East Kalimantan for Rp5.3 billion each.
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