|
International Group Slams Jakarta's Handling Of Aceh, Ambon
JAKARTA, July 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Analysts from the International Crisis Group (ICG) slammed the Indonesian government Thursday for its contradictory measures in dealing with the rising insurgency in the troubled province of Aceh.
The government also came under intense criticism from Muslim student groups that accused it of "abandoning" the Malukus capital city Ambon with the withdrawal of troops.
A spokesman for the ICG, Diarmid O'Sullivan, said that while the current light military operation in Aceh would help reduce the number of armed civilians in the province, it would also cause a loss of confidence in the government for those not involved in the political struggle.
O'Sullivan said the military operation does not reflect efforts on the part of the government to seek a peaceful solution. Most Acehnese do not see "goodwill from central government" that shows it would listen to their desire for fairer treatment and appropriate revenue sharing, he said.
The ICG, an independent, multinational organization, urged the Indonesian government to reduce military operations while waiting for a new law on special autonomy that is being prepared by the House of Representatives.
Foreign observers have also approached the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to convince them to accept a "raw deal" with President Abdurrahman Wahid, who said that their demands for independence were unacceptable.
The leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Hashim Salamat, told IslamOnline that due to his close relationships with both the GAM and Wahid, he had pleaded with the separatist movement to accept a full-fledged autonomy deal.
The GAM is fighting for an independent Islamic state in Aceh, claiming that its association with the Indonesian republic was based on a special status agreed upon during the time of first president Ahmad Sukarno.
Recently, the government and representatives of the GAM held a second round of peace talks sponsored by the Henry Dunnant Foundation in Geneva.
During the talks, violence continued in the province between Indonesian security forces and the GAM's armed wing. The GAM has accused the army of atrocities and violations of human rights in the province.
It has launched websites on which it denounces these atrocities and provides slide shows of the "inhumane" treatment the Acehnese are suffering under the military.
The GAM says that the government ignores most of the crimes committed by the army in Aceh.
In its report, the ICG recommended the government cease offensive military operations, resume the legal process initiated by the independent commission in Aceh on human rights abuses, consider wider compensation for victims of military and police abuses and provide clear and unequivocal regulations covering the Indonesian Military (TNI) and its power to search, arrest and interrogate.
In a related development, the Indonesian army is training and equipping Javanese migrants in Aceh to defend themselves against independence seekers in the province, non-governmental groups said on Friday.
An activist from a rural development organization said, "The military has been recruiting people so they can defend themselves" against the "rebels", although the civilian militia force was made up of only 40 migrants.
The militia members were armed with weapons such as sickles and knives, unlike the GAM's military weapons.
More than 100 people have been killed in the province and 12,000 have fled for North Aceh. Both Javanese and Acehnese blame each other for the violence.
GAM fighters have made no secret of their dislike of Javanese migrants. In Aceh, Javanese and other foreign nationals working for pro-Jakarta organizations are generally not welcomed.
A Malaysian working in Aceh told IslamOnline that he could feel resentment from the Acehnese towards him, but he added that this seemed legitimate.
The "Acehnese believe the Jakarta regime is exploiting their land and resources. There is an intense resentment there. They really want independence," Yahya Abd Karim said.
Meanwhile, TNI chief Admiral Widodo A.S. declared his strong support for stern measures taken by joint security troops to restore law and order in strife-torn Ambon.
This measure was taken after intense criticism by student groups against the government and the military for its policies in Ambon.
The army, however, said it was taking the necessary action in a bid to end the violence in the province and to control the Laskar Jihad Wal Sunnah Wal Jammah.
"Amid condemnation, troops have tried to maintain security and order there. I am standing here asking for understanding from members of the House of Representative[s] to respond proportionately to the real situation in Ambon," Widodo said in a hearing with the House Commission I on politics, security, and foreign affairs and Commission II on legal and home affairs.
"A very complicated situation has ensued the prolonged sectarian conflict, cornering my troops, even though they remain neutral," Widodo said.
Concerns over the presence of TNI joint security troops in Ambon have risen following an attack by troops against a clinic belonging to Laskar Jihad on June 14th.
The incident, which took place in Galunggung and Kebon Cengkih, claimed at least 20 lives, including one soldier, and wounded 30 others. The troops then arrested 15-armed civilians of the Laskar Jihad group.
Muslims and Christians have been antagonistic towards each other in the Malukus ever since a surprise attack by a Christian group on a masjid (mosque) in a village in Ambon. Hundreds of Muslims praying inside were hacked to death, and the Imam was burnt alive in public.
Thousands of Muslims and Christians have died in the conflict.
|
