Ryacudu said Indonesia was facing the possibility of losing both provinces

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, January 6 (IslamOnline.net) - Indonesia’s chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu warned the country’s leadership that it may lose Papua or Irian Jaya and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam due to the possibility of what he called a "foreign conspiracy" aimed at destroying the Unity of the Republic of Indonesia.

Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Monday, January 5, that Indonesia was facing the possibility of losing both provinces due to "threats" from modern warfare, according to the Jakarta Post.

He said that the enemies of Indonesia were using human rights as warfare, which he says was cheaper than military power in the first place.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia division said in a report released Thursday, December 18, that violations of human rights were rampant ever since martial law was enforced on May 19 of this year in the province of Aceh and abuse against civilians tops the offenses.

Title "Aceh Under Martial Law: Inside The Secret War", the reports documents extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, beatings, arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as drastic limits on freedom of movement in Aceh.

He added that the largest Muslim nation on earth with a population of 212 million, of which 85 to 90 percent are of Islamic faith, is in the danger of facing collapse if the United Nations and certain foreign countries steps in Aceh and Irian Jaya to check on reports of rights abuses.

"The conspirators had established several non-governmental organizations to meet their goals," he said, without elaborating however.

"If the campaign succeeds, and the United Nations and certain foreign countries step in, it's over (for Indonesia to keep Aceh and Papua),” he said.

The chief of staff said "rampant" human rights allegations made by foreign parties against the military in the provinces were part of a foreign conspiracy to separate the provinces from Indonesia.

Two weeks ago, the Human Rights Group said in a report that human rights abuses were intolerable in Aceh, where the military is waging a total war of destruction against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

More than 500 civilians have been killed so far in Aceh since the start of the military operation in May 2002. The military is still not in total control of the territory and is still facing "guerilla" warfare resistance from the GAM.

Ryamizard added the government had to resolve the Aceh case "firmly". Otherwise, the GAM would be stronger and able to separate from Indonesia.

There would then be civil war, he said. "GAM would kill locals that supported a unified Indonesia," he claimed, urging "one voice" in settling the separatist problem.

"Otherwise, separatism will be widespread and will claim the lives of some 10 million to 30 million people. Am I frightening you? I am not, that is the scenario. We are only trying to guard our country," he added.

He said his estimates were based on the death toll in Cambodia in the 1970s when 3 million people of a population of 7 million were killed.

Not many people share the same views as the chief of staff but it is known in Indonesia that the military does not approve of breaking down the nation into smaller entities.

“The East Timor debacle is one reason why the military is said to be more patriotic than the political leaders in Indonesia today,” said Musa Samir, a political observer in Jakarta.

The Indonesian military or TNI is deploying some 9,000 troops in the province, including an additional 2,600 soldiers. TNI Headquarters has said that the additional troops are mandatory to guard several places in Papua, especially along the border with Papua New Guinea.

Resource-rich Papua joined Indonesia in 1963. Indonesia formalized its occupation in 1969 following an U.N.-sanctioned ballot. Ever since, the poorly armed Free Papua Organization (OPM) has fought a sporadic campaign for independence.

Both local and international rights bodies have accused the TNI of rights abuses in a number of areas, including Papua and Aceh.

The military has some 50,000 soldiers in Aceh battling some 5000 GAM forces.