Indonesia: 'Cloudy days' in Aceh

Laksamana.Net - The security situation in Aceh has deteriorated drastically. The government threatened Thursday (10/4/03) to resume full military operations in Aceh in the wake of the worst day of violence since the peace pact between Jakarta and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels was signed on December 9.

Nine civilians and rebels were killed Tuesday in four separate incidents. An armed group ambushed a police patrol, causing a gunfight that left four suspected rebels dead. The five other deaths came as a result of other ambushes and incidents involving either the military or police.

TNI shot dead a suspected rebel during search operations in Pidie district on Friday, and the areas around Pidie are reported to be tense following the incident.

In South Aceh witnesses said unknown gunmen shot a village chief late Friday a few hours after a soldier was critically wounded during an ambush by GAM rebels in the Bireuen district.

A 10-year-old girl and two other civilians were shot to death on Saturday in Cot Uno village, about 200 kilometers east of Banda Aceh, police said.

Rebels had ambushed government troops when their military truck approached a rebel stronghold, said Aceh police spokesman Lt. Col. Sayed Husaini. The girl and her 12-year-old friend, who was critically injured, were caught in crossfire.

This week's killings had been preceded by increasing incidents of physical threats against the international peace monitors. Over the past week, pro-Jakarta mobs have burned down an office belonging to peace monitors and threatened to destroy a second. In response, the center withdrew its 50 monitors to the regional capital of Banda Aceh until further notice.

Anger over postponed meeting

Security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Wednesday (9/4/03) that the government considered GAM's refusal to attend a Joint Council meeting as a sign that it had no intention of complying with the accord.

The government requested the meeting after accusing GAM of reneging on the peace agreement signed in December 2002.

Yudhoyono said the government had decided to give GAM five days to reverse its position. A formal request for a Joint Council meeting has been filed by the government in a move that may bring it closer to unilaterally withdrawing from the agreement.

GAM representatives in Stockholm said they had now been invited to continue talks in Geneva on April 16-17.

Armed forces commander Gen. Endriarto Sutarto said TNI was waiting for the delayed meeting and if the sides still wanted peace, they would keep trying to realize such a condition. "But if one side refuses the peace accord, the government has to take further steps immediately," he warned.

The government and the military say GAM is using the peace process to drum up support for independence. Sutarto warned the rebels to drop their independence bid. "If all they talk about is independence, we can't continue this (peace deal)," Sutarto said, adding that he was considering deploying more troops to the region if dialogue fails.

Sutarto said GAM should dissolve its military force and surrender its weapons by July 9 as stated in the agreement. "If they [GAM] do not obey this, we cannot accept [their violation]."

Sutarto said the government should not wait until the end of the demilitarization period to crack down on GAM.

"We can see that GAM will not comply with the agreement and put down their weapons by July 9, so why should we wait (until the deadline to launch military operation)," he was quoted as saying by Antara Wednesday (9/4/03).

TNI chief for general affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago on the same day confirmed that TNI was readying reinforcements for Aceh to back up the current garrison of 21,000, supported by thousands of police officers. GAM has an estimated 5,000 members.

Donors nervous

The tough talking and the threat of renewed military action is a cause for concern for those countries who are Indonesia's donors through the Consultative Group on IndonesiaI. Representatives of the donor countries met with Yudhoyono on Wednesday, and were briefed on the latest developments in Aceh.

The representatives reportedly asked for a clarification of Megawati's instruction to security forces to ready for military operations in case the government decided to withdraw from the peace accord.

"We do not have any knowledge about it (the instruction). We just learned from the newspapers, that is why we have asked for further investigation from both parties and ask (the rebels) to immediately put down their weapons," Japanese Ambassador Yutaka Iimura said after the meeting.

"Japan, the EU, the U.S. and the World Bank urge the government of Indonesia to take immediate steps to ensure the physical security of monitors in the field," the donors said in a statement.

The Philippines, which has representatives on the Joint Security Commission (JSC) condemned the increasing violence in Aceh and urged the Indonesian government to take necessary measures to prevent an escalation of violence.

The only comfort offered to donors would appear to be Yudhoyono's public statement that "any military operations would be well planned in order to avoid unnecessary human rights violations. These may be cloudy days for the Acehnese, but believe me it is not doomsday."

US ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce, though admitting the withdrawal of monitors was a cause for concern, expressed optimism on Thursday that the pact would survive.

"I think we have a great deal of confidence in the Indonesian people to work through this very difficult process," Boyce told Reuters in a telephone interview.

This was on the same day as Zaini Abdullah, a GAM representative exiled in Stockholm, told Reuters "Everything is getting worse now, there is violence and killings. We don't know exactly what we have to do." Abdullah said the recent violence in the region was due to Jakarta attempting to sabotage the peace process.

"We are already committed to what we agreed after the signing of the peace agreement on December 9," he said. "I don't think they (the Indonesian side) are sincere about it."

There is full political support behind the new hard line from Jakarta. President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Monday instructed the TNI and police to prepare for any military operations needed to stamp out the secessionist movement. On Tuesday two top politicians, Amien Rais and parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung both said they would support the government should it order a military crackdown.