Indonesian military continues war in Aceh despite devestation
by Takver
Thursday January 06, 2005 at 12:55 AM
"Our security operations continue, the only difference is that it may be less in scale and intensity," Lieutenant Colonel Nachrowi, of the military headquarters' general information department, told AFP. "The principle is that all our forces in Aceh are basically continuing their duty under the security operation. But they also have to accord a large portion of their time for the humanitarian relief efforts. We continue to launch raids into suspected GAM areas and our vigilance remains high."
Indonesia's Aceh province had been under virtual martial law, largely closed to the outside world as 40,000 troops hunted separatists of the Free Aceh Movement. The Indonesian military have not ceased raids against separatist rebels, despite the devastation of the Acehnese people in the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004.
In the disaster more than 100,000 deaths in Aceh are estimated with whole towns literally wiped off the map, and many hundreds of thousands displaced and at risk of starvation and disease. Due to the destruction, and the poor infrastructure, providing aid to so many in the province is a logistical nightmare.
Lieutenant Colonel Nachrowi of the military headquarters general information department told The Australian newspaper "Our security operations continue... We continue to launch raids into suspected GAM (Free Aceh Movement) areas and our vigilance remains high."
The Free Aceh Movement has been fighting for independence since 1976, and the Indonesian Government stepped up its military suppression efforts with a massive operation that began in May 2003. Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) announced a unilateral truce in its war with Indonesian forces.
Amid the apparent calls for ceasefire, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged GAM rebels yesterday to lay down their weapons and join efforts to rebuild Aceh. "I call on those who are still raising arms, to come out... let us use this historic momentum to join and be united again," Mr Yudhoyono said."I call on them all, let us together build an Aceh in line with the special autonomy and according to what we can do together."
Sweden-based GAM spokesman, Bakhtiar Abdullah said the military had poured troops into the region since the disaster in an effort to wipe out the rebels. He also stated that rebel sympathisers in refugee camps were harassed and tortured.
"The reports we received is that they are moving in more troops under the guise of relief operations," Mr Abdullah said. "We know that they are trying to track down GAM fighters in the area. We have given strict orders to maintain a ceasefire and hope that the Indonesian military would respect that ceasefire."
In Aceh a prominent student group has urged authorities to lift a state of emergency in the region and abandon the military offensive against the rebels.
"The Government of Indonesia has to end the military approach to resolve the conflict that creates the suffering of the Acehnese," said a statement by student group, SIRA. The student organisation is one of the acehnese civil organisations campaigning for an independence referendum for the 4 million people of Aceh.
There are news reports that Government troops have continued anti-insurgency actions in Aceh. A Subdistrict guerrilla commander with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and two of his men died in a clash with troops in northern Aceh on 31 December, according to TNI military spokesman, Ari Mulya Asnawi, on the state-run news agency Antara. He accused them of trying to attack a relief convoy.
According to the rebels the Indonesian military has moved more troops into rebel-held territory under the guise of relief operations. They accuse squads of soldiers of preventing hill villagers going to help their relatives on the coast. "They are still conducting an incessant military operation," a rebel spokesman, Teuku Jamaika, told The Australian from his base somewhere in the Aceh hills. "There's no difference between before and after the tsunami."
GAM spokesman Teuku Jamaika said military raids had continued in hill areas of Idi Rayek, in Bireuen, Gandapura and Pasongan. Local people had been prevented from leaving their villages to find relatives or simply to help, he said. "It was prohibited, blocked. If they left their villages there were threats."
Teuku Jamaika flatly denied the rebels had attempted to hold up an aid convoy and said two rebels were shot dead by Indonesian soldiers after an all-out attack. "We actually already unilaterally asked the TNI for a ceasefire," he said. "We asked TNI to take a defensive position and only attack if we attack first. But it just doesn't work."
University of Indonesia military specialist Salim Said said "The operation to obliterate GAM continues, nothing has changed there,"
Military spokesman, Colonel Ahmad Yani Basuki, acknowledged operations against the rebels were continuing and more troops have been sent to Aceh, but said the Government had reassigned two-thirds of all the troops to disaster relief.
Indonesian military chief General Endriartono Sutarto called on 27 December for an unprecedented temporary ceasefire with the rebels so focus could be shifted onto rebuilding Aceh, in the north of Sumatra which suffered the most damage.
"All my soldiers will be used to help overcome this natural disaster and I hope that GAM will also do the same, not using the opportunity for something else because this is really something to do with humanitarian problems," he said.
But by Friday 31st December the military had admitted it was continuing its military offensive.
"Our security operations continue, the only difference is that it may be less in scale and intensity," Lieutenant Colonel Nachrowi, of the military headquarters' general information department, told AFP. "The principle is that all our forces in Aceh are basically continuing their duty under the security operation. But they also have to accord a large portion of their time for the humanitarian relief efforts. We continue to launch raids into suspected GAM areas and our vigilance remains high."
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