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Indonesia’s Wahid Warns Separatists Of Military Intervention
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - In a televised address to Indonesians, President Abdurrahman Wahid on Thursday evening warned that security forces would intervene and crush separatists in Irian Jaya and Aceh.
He said in a firm tone that he has given orders to quell any effort made in these provinces to secede from the Indonesian Republic. He made the speech hours after the decision to allow the army and military police to post 2000 men in the capital city of Irian Jaya.
"There should be no effort to proclaim [independence], secession from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, be that in Irian Jaya, or Papua, or in Aceh,” were the exact words Wahid used in a brief statement.
"Any action tending towards this will be faced appropriately by government personnel in line with the mandate of the People’s Consultative Assembly [MPR], the constitution and the prevailing laws,” said Wahid.
Constitutional experts in Jakarta to whom IslamOnline has spoken said the president clearly meant military actions and war against separatism is the next option the leadership in the country would adopt if all avenues of negotiations fail.
Several other people interviewed by IslamOnline said they believe Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputeri has had a considerable influence in the decision making process to handle the separatists with heavy hand.
Wahid has been blamed by top officials in the much influential Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) for not using the military to put an end to growing calls for independence in Irian Jaya and Aceh.
In Irian Jaya on Friday, a demonstration to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the declaration of independence by pro-freedom parties commenced peacefully. However, not a single word of freedom and independence were uttered by the demonstrators who were under the watchful eyes of the army personnel deployed Thursday in the city.
Army officials earlier warned they would use force and guns if separatist groups in the province called for independence and hoisted the Morning Star flag.
IslamOnline was told that army and marine personnel sent to Jayapura had orders to shoot and quell any attempt to resort to violence and calls for independence. They were told they had to use their guns to defend the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
The armed forces were authorized by the government to crack down on separatist moves in the province, which the authorities feel is an easier target than the restive and violent province of Aceh.
Jakarta believes that by putting a stop to separatism in the province of Papua or Irian Jaya, it would serve as an example to other provinces. Indonesia is not ready to let any of its other islands or provinces to be separated from the Republic either by force or by referendum, IslamOnline was told.
Security and intelligence personnel working directly under the Indonesian presidency have also been given orders to track down separatist leaders in all the provinces and to report on their activities to relevant authorities.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Megawati would be given the task to handle the issue of separatism in both Irian Jaya and the Malukus while Wahid would personally handle the Aceh crisis.
Observers said they felt the government was not ready for bloodshed in the Irian Jaya province and that there were no orders to shoot on sight. They said the authorities would still use standard measures, such as police intervention and arrest of leaders.
On Wednesday, police arrested three separatist leaders including the Chairman of the Papua Council Presidium Thyes Hiyo Eluay, Presidium Secretary General Thaha Alhamid, and Presidium executive Don Al Flassy.
Separatist leaders say they plan only to mark the anniversary with prayers and thanksgiving ceremonies. They have also agreed to remove the separatist Morning Star flag from all but five of the province’s 14 districts after Friday.
The office of the Papua Task Force in the same building will also have to be closed starting December 2nd, Wenas said.
Irian Jaya is home to one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines.
Calls for independence have escalated in the province in the past two years amid complaints of human rights violations and unfair division of revenues from natural resources.
The current political administration in Jakarta rejects all claims by the separatist movement in both Aceh and Irian Jaya. The reform government said it is trying to repair the ills committed by the Suharto regime that ruled the country heavy handedly for over 32 years.
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