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Review - Regions:
Aceh, Papua and Maluku
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LAKSAMANA.Net
July
6, 2003
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Review - Regions: Aceh, Papua and Maluku
Laksamana.Net - Aceh: Stick to the TNI
Two rebels and a policeman were killed on Saturday (5/7/03) in the latest of a
continuing series of clashes as the Indonesian military (TNI) continued its six week
old offensive to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
TNI continues to talk up the success of its campaign, saying some 350 people have
been killed and around 600 suspected rebels have surrendered since May 19. GAM
claims many of those killed were civilians.
Aid workers say the humanitarian program promised by Jakarta has yet to materialize
but Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah stoutly defended the government over
claims that refugees are starving and have mo medical care in Aceh camps.
Troops killed 15 rebels in gun battles across Aceh on Wednesday (2/7/03), and one
soldier was killed early Thursday in another clash.
The military and the police have asked Parliament for another $220 million to finance
the campaign in which the military say operations are 'ahead of schedule', but admits
that martial law may be extended beyond the current six months.
Amid the mounting casualty toll and widespread reports of civilian suffering, earlier
talk of a quick victory is being subtly changed to an emphasis on the will and
commitment to fight a longer campaign.
Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said Tuesday that rebel strength was now down
to 600-700 from an estimated 5,000 at the start of the operation.
On Thursday, armed forces commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, though conceding
that troops still face attacks from the rebels, said troops had taken most rebel areas
within the last month and a half - much faster than the four-month timetable generals
initially projected.
Though the province is under military control, the war against GAM will not be
suspended ahead of schedule, Sutarto said.
"We can see the operation has succeeded in significantly reducing rebel strength.
Things are going well, better than expected."
GAM Fights On
The rebels disputed Sutarto's claim and threatened new attacks in coming days.
Mahmood Malik, the GAM leader, said Thursday from Stockholm that the group had
no intention of stopping fighting. Asked how long he expected the violence to
continue, Malik said: "In war, we cannot predict. As long as they are attacking us, we
will fight back."
Malik, who headed the GAM delegation in the peace talks which collapsed in May,
said there had been no offer of peace talks by Jakarta and the rebels had no intention
of returning to the negotiation table.
"War is being imposed on us. Our priority is just to fight back," he said.
"GAM operates in traditional guerrilla tactics. We are fully covered in the strategic
area, and we are using hit and run tactics. That's why our casualty figure is lower than
the Indonesians."
Malik said more than 1,000 civilians, 500 Indonesian soldiers and around 100 GAM
fighters had been killed since May 19.
Jakarta Slams US Criticism
Jakarta Friday rejected US criticism of the five-year prison sentence imposed on Aceh
activist Muhammad for sedition over speeches he made. Pointing out that it was the
latest in a series of convictions and prison sentences for peaceful expression of
anti-government views in Indonesia State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
said the United States was 'disappointed'.
Nazar, head of the Information Center for an Aceh Referendum, was arrested in
February, two weeks after he made speeches in front of hundreds of demonstrators.
Nazar spent 10 months in prison in 2001 for subversion after organizing a huge rally
calling for a referendum on Aceh's independence. Boucher said the Banda Aceh court
gave Nazar a harsh sentence against ``exercising his right to peaceful political
activity,'' as recognized by the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.
Motherly Concern
American freelance journalist William Nessen, fresh from a six-week foray in the
jungle with GAM freedom fighters, may have to do without comforting words and
support from his mother, Hermine Nessen, who arrived in Jakarta Friday.
Hermine has not been able to get clearance from the Aceh martial law administration
to visit her son who has been in detention at Aceh police headquarters in Banda Aceh
since June 25 when he handed himself over to the military.
He had been traveling with a group of rebels since early May, a few weeks before the
imposition of martial law on May 19.
Nessen is being interrogated for possible visa violations and is being shadowed by a
member of the US Embassy consular staff standing by in Aceh to accompany him
during the 'process' to spot any violation of his civil rights.
Under martial law, a suspect or a witness can be detained for up to 20 days, after
which the police may extend the detention period.
Journalists Safe
Private television station RCTI journalist Erza Siregar and cameraman Ferry Santoro
went missing after disappearing in North Aceh on Sunday afternoon. Both the military
and GAM initially denied responsibility for the disappearance and RCTI asked the
authorities in Jakarta and Aceh to search for the 'approved' journalists.
On Thursday GAM owned up to having captured the two. "We suspect that their
reports have been used by the military to attack us," rebel spokesman Tengku
Mansur told the Associated Press. ``They will be released after their interrogation.''
The media pair, a cameraman and reporter for Indonesia's RCTI station along with
their driver, were detained on Sunday in the east of the province.
Last month, a technician for state television company TVRI was kidnapped and killed
by unidentified assailants.
Martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya warned journalists covering the
war in Aceh to coordinate with security officers to avoid any untoward incidents.
"We are urged to give freedom to the press covering the military operation here, but for
their own security, we (security officers) also require journalists to maintain
coordination with us," Endang said.
Separately. TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto warned those journalists covering the
war in Aceh "to stick to the TNI".
"It will be difficult for us to protect journalists if they do not join the TNI embedded
program," Sutarto said.
Papua Rebels Surrender
The government claimed a major success Monday (30/6/03) with the surrender of 42
former members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The rebels who had been led by Bernardus Papiri formally surrendered at a ceremony
at police headquarters in the provincial capital Jayapura, state news agency Antara
said.
ElShinta radio said the rebels handed over 234 guns of various types, 1,684 rounds of
ammunition, 56 hand grenades, 11 home-made bombs and other explosives.
Skeptics said they doubted the truth of the 'surrender', saying this was not the first
time Indonesia had staged such shows. Analysts also add that OPM is not the major
threat to Indonesia at this time, with the Papua Presidium separatist movement a far
stronger force.
Separately Papua governor JP Solossa denied rumors that Mapia Island in the Pacific
Ocean wanted to 'split' from Indonesia. Rumors had been circulating that lack of
commitment from the central government and the Papuan provincial government
increased the likelihood of the island being claimed by another country such as the
Philippines, resulting in another loss to Indonesia.
The Governor said Mapia Island would never split from Indonesia. He said there were
currently a number of developments planned by the government to be implemented on
Mapia Island, including infrastructure developments, an ice making factory and a Navy
security post.
Kopassus Withdraw
On Wednesday 98 of 158 elite Special Force (Kopassus) and Strategic Reserves
Command (Kostrad) soldiers deployed to crack down on the OPM were pulled back to
Jakarta.
Those remaining have been given a new mission - to 'persuade' rebels to voluntarily
return weapons stolen during a raid on the Jayawijaya Military District arsenal on April
4 and for locals to drop their support for OPM.
Chief of the Trikora Military Command overseeing Papua, Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal,
explained that the situation in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya regency, was under
control though security in the villages of Kuyawage and Sinakma had yet to be
restored.
He said the military had identified the area in which the remaining weapons were
being kept and was negotiating to persuade the rebels to return the arms.
Human rights organizations and religious leaders say at least 16 civilians and rebels
have been killed during the military operation to retrieve the arms stolen in the raid
that left two soldiers dead.
Both soldiers and civilians have been implicated in the attack.
Hundreds of villagers have been forced to seek refuge in forests amid fears of
intimidation and torture by the soldiers and alleged human rights abuses have spurred
demands for the government to set up an independent team to investigate.
Government and military sources say Papua will be the target of a new and massive
military campaign after the war in Aceh ends although police say dozens of Papuans
have surrendered their arms to the security authorities and declared their loyalty to
Jakarta.
Maluku Fears
Maluku - where sectarian violence four years ago left more than 5,000 people dead
and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes - is facing the possibility of
renewed armed conflict, according to a new intelligence report.
Maluku Military Commander Maj. Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo suggested
Thursday (3/7/03) there were groups that were interested in 'stirring up trouble' and
renewing the conflict in the province where violence broke out in January 1999 and
lasted till the central government in February last year brokered a peace deal between
Muslims and Christians.
Though sporadic violence has continued in the province, Purnomo told reporters that if
the ideological, political, economic, social, cultural and security problems remain
unsolved, they would trigger new conflicts in Maluku.
He said the province still had to deal with problems that following the 1999 religious
unrest, and this would need the full c0operation of all elements in society to prevent
past conflicts from surfacing again.
Quoting intelligence reports, Purnomo said the groups included the South Maluku
Republic (RMS) separatist movement and (its military wing) the Maluku Liberation
Front (FKM), who may have behind the latest acts of terror in the provincial capital.
But the military chief said it was difficult to identify the motives behind recent bomb
threats, as they were different from those of the RMS/FKM, who want a separate
state from the republic of Indonesia, he said.
Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sutrisno offered help to the military in
tracking down the groups interested in maintaining the conflict here and discloses that
the opposing groups in Ambon had access to military standard issue and homemade
weapons.
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