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Students Condemn Military Operation In Aceh
by Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Hundreds of students of the Ar-Raniry Islamic Institute of Higher Learning demonstrated on Thursday, demanding that Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh reject the imposition of a "limited military operation" in the restive Indonesian province.
The students condemned the proposed military operation and carried banners and posters calling for a rejection of a military approach in the search for a solution to the Acehnese conflict and asked Puteh to sign a statement written by the students, rejecting the imposition of the operation.
On receiving five student representatives, Puteh said he personally endorsed the students` rejection of the limited military operation.
He, however, refused to sign the statement.
"The governor said he would write a letter to the central government about the rejection of the limited military operation," Taufiq Abdullah, one of the student representatives, said after the meeting.
The students claimed that it would be out of order for the government to launch a limited military operation to fight the separatist movement in Aceh.
"In addition to interfering with the dialog approach, the military operation will also turn Aceh into a killing field," they said in their statement.
In Jakarta, another group of Acehnese youths and students grouped in the Anti-Violence Youth and Student Front (Fomapak), demonstrated in front of the United States Embassy on Thursday waving banners calling for the withdrawal of government forces from Aceh.
They urged the U.S. and other countries to mediate in the search for a solution to the Aceh conflict, and demanded that government forces and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) agree on a ceasefire.
The demonstrators, wearing blue vests, also asked the U.S. to pressure the Indonesian government to withdraw its troops from the ExxonMobil establishment in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh district.
They said that a militaristic approach has prolonged the conflict in Aceh and that it was time for anothet solution to be found.
Earlier in Jakarta, President Abdurrahman Wahid issued orders to the government and security forces to carry out comprehensive measures in a bid to solve the Aceh issue.
Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. disclosed that the orders include an instruction to the police to cooperate with the military in launching a law enforcement and security operation, termed "a limited military operation".
The government has urged local leaders to re-establish paralyzed public services in a bid to bring normality to the province. However, locals in Banda Aceh do not believe local authorities have the capacity to revive the system of governance they are rejecting.
Dated April 4th, the presidential instruction also ordered Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, a number of ministers and Puteh to coordinate moves.
It also asked Indonesian Police chief, S Bimantoro, to cooperate with the Indonesian military in upholding the law in Aceh.
Clashes in the oil-rich, but underdeveloped, Aceh continue, despite an agreement reached by the government and the GAM to declare a peace zone.
The U.S.-based oil company, ExxonMobil, has since March 9th suspended operations at the Arun gas field following security threats allegedly issued by the GAM, causing the government to lose millions of dollars in liquid natural gas (LNG) revenues.
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