The Age [Australia], November 18, 2003
Anti-separatist militias form in Aceh
By Matthew Moore, Indonesia Correspondent, Lhokseumawe, Aceh
Pro-military groups critical of human rights activists are emerging in Indonesia's
conflict-ridden Aceh province, raising fears of a resurgence of East Timor-style
militias.
Last week a group calling itself Berantas, or the People's Anti-Separatist Front,
announced its formation and immediately issued a warning to Indonesia's
government-funded but independent National Commission on Human Rights.
It called for the commission (also known as Komnas Ham) to be "realistic and
objective in carrying out its duties". It warned: "If not, Berantas and HBMB (a related
group) will urge Komnas Ham to pack their bags and leave Aceh."
The new groups have been endorsed by the military in Aceh, which this week begins
its second six-month period of martial law as the Indonesian Government continues
its campaign against separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Although the new groups say they have no links to the military, they have an office in
a building that until recently housed the army's Aceh media centre and that still
accommodates the army-controlled radio station. Their members also attend military
social functions.
Army-backed militias in East Timor helped destroy infrastructure and killed hundreds
after the 1999 vote for independence.
Berantas secretary Satria Insan Kamil accused the commission of spending too
much time investigating alleged offences by the security forces and not enough on
those committed by GAM. Mr Satria said Berantas and HBMB were not militias and
were not armed. Their aim was to build community support to fight GAM and to report
suspected GAM activities to the military.
He said the group had a membership of about 500 in villages in and around
Lhokseumawe and nearby Biruen, where some of Aceh's most bitter fighting has
taken place.
Student activist Zulfikar Mohammad warned that the new groups could easily become
militia. "They are useless organisations which make no positive contribution to the
settlement of the Aceh problem because they try and indoctrinate people and people
don't want to be indoctrinated. There's a big possibility they could become militias
because of the way they conduct their activities," he said.
Aceh's outgoing military commander, General Bambang Darmono, defended the
groups, which he said emerged from a community desire to fight GAM.
"The people's opposition we are talking about here is an effort to guard their own
villages themselves. It's people's participation It's not initiated by soldiers, so we must
support it. It's not militia. The TNI (armed forces) has never created militia," he said.
General Darmono said he had not heard of Berantas, but knew such groups were
forming. "Weeks ago a man told me, 'Sir, I will be appointed commander of troops to
crush GAM in Biruen,' and I replied 'Don't use the word commander. That title is mine,
not yours'," he said.
"What I want from people is they oppose GAM themselves. They don't have to be led
by soldiers because they experience all the bad things by GAM, so (I tell them) go
and protect your own village."
Copyright © 2002 The Age Company Ltd
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