LAKSAMANA.Net, November 16, 2003 10:06 PM
Review - Regions: New Aceh War Phase
Laksamana.Net - Though deploying 35,000 troops, the government and the military
(TNI) have been disillusioned after promising a quick war against an original strength
of 5,225, rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters. The military claim there are only
2,665 left with 1,683 firearms.
Jakarta had said the martial law administration implemented on May 19 would have a
four-pronged strategy. A military offensive to crush the rebels would be backed by a
humanitarian mission to help war casualties.
Greater influence of the national police, particularly in GAM-controlled areas, and the
strengthening of the local administrations and the civil service, especially in GAM
areas where local civil servants are said to be sympathetic to the rebels, were to
round off the game plan.
Now, entering the second six months of martial law, TNI plans to change its tactics,
including sending in another strike unit which will operate in small units to hunt down
the rebels.
More than 1,800 rebels have surrendered or been arrested since May, while more than
900 guerrillas and 67 police or soldiers have been killed. The death toll among civilians
so far stands at 319, with 117 injured. The military also says top rebel leaders are still
at large.
TNI will also improve its intelligence efforts to encourage the Acehnese to participate
in the government's efforts to maintain the unitary republic, said Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto Monday (10/11/03).
The first six-month military operation has cost Rp 1.2 trillion ($141.2 million), but,
Sutarto said, "the next operation will only cost some 60% of the first."
"The main aim of anti-guerrilla warfare is to separate the enemy from the people in the
community. So our main objective is to make sure that GAM no longer gets
community support and we will extricate them physically and emotionally," he said.
In anti-guerrilla combat operations, the fighting force is organized into three groups,
led by a mobile strike unit, which can operate as a small unit and maintain a high
degree of secrecy. "The job of this unit is to crush and eliminate GAM's armed forces
and cut off their logistics supply lines," he said.
Another, skeleton, unit, would be tasked with securing populated areas, sterilizing the
villages, securing lines of logistics going to the people and the military as well as
digging for information and breaking down the enemy communications networks.
The last unit focuses on destroying strategic targets considered, he said.
Tired commander relieved
For the next six months, the operation's strategy will be adjusted, as the rebels are
no longer operating in large groups, Sutarto told reporters at TNI headquarters in
Cilangkap, East Jakarta. "Small groups of soldiers will be more effective in hunting
them down."
He also revealed plans to replace the Aceh military operation commander, Maj. Gen.
Bambang Darmono, with Brig. Gen. George Toisutta in the next two weeks. Toisutta
was a former member of the joint security committee that oversaw an earlier
five-month truce.
Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu confirmed the replacement. "He
(Darmono) is tired after having served in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam for so long,"
Ryacudu said at the close of a training session by the Army's Raider unit near
Surabaya.
In mid December a deployment of some 7,000 soldiers from the Raider unit will
replace some long serving troops in Aceh.
The Raiders, who have undergone training at several TNI's training camps, are able to
mount ambushes from the air or water, as well as on land.
Cease-fire ruled out
The government on Friday ruled out any more truces or cease-fires unless the
guerrillas give up their independence demand and disarm.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
said officials from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) had
met President Megawati Sukarnoputri and asked her to agree to a cease-fire with
GAM .
But, he told reporters, "it is not yet possible for us to impose a permanent political
solution" if the rebels are still fighting.
"Indonesia believes that the Aceh problems can only be solved if GAM accepts the
Unitary State of Indonesia under a special autonomy status (for Aceh) and they put
down their weapons and liquidate their forces," the minister said.
The EU, US, Japan and several rights groups say there is no military solution to the
separatist conflict that began in 1976. Rights groups accuse both sides of serious
abuses but most foreign observers have been banned from the province under martial
law.
Libya to help
Tripoli plans to give Indonesia military equipment and expertise to help the war effort in
Aceh, presumably to compensate for the fact that around 400 Aceh rebels were
trained in Libya in the 1980s.
The rebels reportedly returned to Aceh in 1989 and are said to be regarded by the
military as the most dangerous and professional of the insurgents.
Sutarto said Libya would send several instructors who trained the rebels to Jakarta to
help his forces track the insurgents down, Media Indonesia reported.
He said Libyan officials had promised two MI 35 helicopters, but he was hoping for
more. "I am still negotiating the number of helicopters, if possible they will give more
than two," he said.
"From my conversations with Libyan officials, they have promised to send several
instructors from Libya who trained GAM personnel," he told a meeting with
Commission I of the DPR House of Representatives Tuesday (11/11/03).
Besides that, Libya has promised to assist in the procurement of BTR-60 tanks.
Amnesty for 2,000 rebels
Megawati, who has not visited Aceh since she imposed martial law in the province on
May 19, will visit the province in the third week of December when she is expected to
attend a meeting of 4,000 Muslim clerics and inaugurate several government projects.
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh confirmed the visit and said the president had also
agreed to his proposal to grant amnesty to 2,000 separatist rebels who have
surrendered and pledged allegiance to Indonesia.
But he said the government needed to consult first with the House of Representatives
before granting the amnesty and Megawati had promised to discuss the issue
immediately with the cabinet.
Puteh said those who surrendered have been given training in farming and other
vocational skills.
During her first visit to Aceh in September 2001, Megawati shed tears when
apologizing for the "mistakes of the past".
Papua: Theys Remembered
Despite a ban by the government, Papuans mark Independence Day on December 1.
Last year some 1,500 people marked the anniversary of the Papua separatist
movement - the Free Papua Movement (OPM) - with a ceremony at the grave of Theys
Hiyo Eluay, a peaceful independence campaigner allegedly murdered by special
forces (Kopassus) soldiers.
This year Members of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) Tuesday (11/11/03)
commemorated the death of Theys.
The anniversary, under tight police surveillance, was held in the grounds of Theys'
house in the Jayapura area of Sentani after a large number of PDP members and
Theys' relatives had traveled to Entrop to hold a prayer service at the Sentani
Memorial Park, where Theys is buried.
Later they returned to Theys' house for the prayer service organized by Theys' family
and the PDP.
The service was led by the Rev. Chris Warow and was attended by some 200 PDP
members, including representatives of a number of Papuan tribes.
Reports said the independence 'Morning Star' flag was flown at half mast during the
ceremony. The situation was tense, with dozens of uniformed and plainclothes police
personnel, including Sr. Comr. Slamet Sopandi, the Papua Provincial Police's
intelligence chief, watching from nearby.
Troops had been placed on alert against separatist guerrilla attacks ahead of
Independence Day activities, with orders to shoot any rioters on sight.
The governor, heads of the provincial police and military and the provincial
attorney-general signed a document banning the commemoration of December 1,
including the flying of the separatist flag, provincial police said in a statement.
"Prior to Papua Independence Day, rebel leaders will issue circulars ordering their
troops to attack police and military posts, or even public venues - so personnel must
remain vigilant," the document read.
Papua Governor JP Salossa also called on the Papuan people not to undertake any
activities that could further raise tensions in the province, including hoisting the
Morning Star flag or other separatist symbols.
Kopassus 'trophy' offends
A spate of recent OPM attacks sparked a pre-dawn Kopassus-led ambush
Wednesday (12/11/03) in which 10 OPM fighters, including guerilla commander
Yustinus Murib, were killed.
Rebels had killed four workers in Paniai, 500km south of Jayapura, just a day before
the ambush in which OPM leader Justinus Murip died.
A bizarre and shocking photo in local newspapers showed grinning Kopassus soldiers
displaying the bloodied body of Murib - holding him by the hair - like a hunting trophy,
leading to accusations of unacceptable behavior by the military.
West Papuans have been calling for dialog and for their country to be a "Zone of
Peace".
On Australian television last week OPM representatives issued an appeal to the
international community to mediate in their conflict with Indonesia.
Police tear down billboard
Amid protests from locals the Papuan Police Thursday (13/11/03) demolished a large
billboard erected next to a monument commemorating the death of Papua Presidium
Council (PDP) chairman Theys Hiyo Eluay in the Entrop area of South Jayapura.
Jayapura Police deputy chief Comr. Mathius Fachiri said the demolition was already
agreed beforehand. "We made an agreement with the Sentani Tribal Council that the
billboard could be taken down two years after the death of Theys," he said.
The text read: "We thank God for the sacrifice by Theys and other Papuans who
became the victims of human rights violations in the fight to establish the truth and to
raise the pride and dignity of Papuans in a new, peaceful Papua."
Fachiri said the text on the board was provocative and that the billboard had to be
demolished as it could incite hatred and "mistaken perceptions" among Papuans.
Local leader Enos Deda explained that the billboard was aimed merely at
commemorating the death of Theys. "In our history, there has never been a noted
local figure who was murdered. It only happened to Theys. Thus, his death has to be
commemorated," he said.
Governor installed
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno Friday (14/11/03) installed Brig. Gen. (ret)
Abraham Octovianus Atururi as the governor of West Irian Jaya province, despite
controversy over the status of the province.
His inauguration marks the official split of West Irian Jaya from Papua and was based
on presidential decree No. 213/M dated November 11, 2003, which followed a January
decree stipulating the creation of the province.
Atururi had been appointed governor under the transitional government of President
B.J. Habibie in 1999 but mounting opposition prompted a delay in the regional split.
Speaker of Papua provincial legislature John Ibo said the inauguration contradicted a
recommendation from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) issued during its
latest annual session in August that the government should revise Law No. 45/1999
on the division of Papua into three smaller provinces.
Jakarta is reported to be contemplating dividing Papua into even more provinces than
the three already planned.
The decision announced nearly a year ago to divide the province into three sparked
widespread anger, culminating in the deaths of six people in August in tribal fighting in
Timika — the designated capital of Central Irian Jaya.
The establishment of Central Irian Jaya was put on hold, but the provincial structure
for West Irian Jaya is in place with seats already assigned in the national parliament
in time for next April's election.
The government is now looking at a proposal to also create North and South Papua.
Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group's Jakarta office says the key motivation
is to divide and weaken the independence movement.
"I think that is far and away the major goal of politicians in Jakarta who are promoting
the division. I think that the side benefit is that the more provinces they create, the
more parliamentary seats will probably be won by Megawati's party."
Russian Launch Pad
The Russian government wants to launch a satellite next year from Biak in Papua
province due to its strategic location, Papua Governor Jaap Solossa said Friday
(14/11/03).
Antara quoted Jaap as saying the Russian government has already conducted a field
study in a location in Biak, though he did not disclose where exactly the great event
would take place.
Jaap suggested that the government and the Papua administration take advantage of
the event.
He added he has asked the government to reopen international flights plying the
Biak-Honolulu-Los Angeles route and hoped that the Frans Kaisiepo airport in Biak
would be renovated to lure foreign investors and tourists.
Maluku Separatist Leaders Freed
Two pro-independence leaders who had been held in jail in Jakarta pending an appeal
against sentences for subversion have been released after their detention warrants
expired, it was disclosed Monday.
Alexander Hermanus Manuputty, head of the Maluku Sovereignty Front (RMS), and
another leader, Samuel Waeleruny, had been sentenced by an appeal court to four
years in jail for subversion, adding a year to the three-year sentence passed earlier
this year by a lower court.
Under Indonesian law, jail sentences do not necessarily have to be served until all
appeals are exhausted.
But judges can order the detention of defendants during the appeal process, which
they did in this case. The two are appealing to the Supreme Court.
Manuputty and Waeleruny were arrested in Ambon in April last year after encouraging
their followers to hoist separatist flags.
Separatists proclaimed the Republic of South Maluku in the eastern island chain in
1950 and staged a revolt against newly independent Indonesia.
The rebellion was suppressed but activists, mainly in the Netherlands, pursued a
failed campaign for international recognition. Supporters of the Maluku Sovereignty
Front are mainly Christians.
The independence movement is not believed to have widespread support among
Christians in Maluku. But the government, which faces more serious separatist unrest
in Aceh and Papua, is determined to crack down on any independence moves.
Copyright © 2000 - 2002 Laksamana.net, All Rights Reserved.
|
