Jakarta – Indonesian armed forces (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has stated that the TNI is considering extending the integrated operation in Aceh until the 2004 general elections. [He said that] conducting the 2004 elections in Aceh, which will be held concurrently with elections in other provinces, represents one of the targets of the integrated operation in Aceh. On the issue of whether the status of the military emergency will be scaled down, this will be assessed later based on the situation on the ground.
These issues emerged in Endriartono’s answers to questions from members of the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) in a working meeting of the DPR Commission I with the TNI chief on Wednesday September 3, in Jakarta.
According to Endriartono, holding the 2004 elections in Aceh concurrently with other provinces is one of the targets of the integrated operation which began on May 19, which covers the humanitarian operation, law enforcement, empowerment of government and the restoration of security.
“We are in agreement that the elections for legislative representatives and the president in Aceh are to be held concurrently with other provinces. On the question of whether it is necessary to do this under the status of an emergency or whether the status be scaled down, this will be given consideration based on various aspects and in accordance with the situation on the ground”, he said.
This [view] was presented in answer to a question by a member of Commission I from the TNI/Police fraction, Major General Sang Nyoman Suwisma. The former TNI army territorial assistant was asking about the possibility of scaling down the status of a military emergency.
“If the status of the military emergency is scaled down, it is possible that the momentum which has now been achieved will not be able to be maintained, particularly in relation to how we confront the 2004 elections”, explained Endriartono.
Meanwhile, in a written explanation, Endriartono reveled that the emergency status in Aceh was applied in order to give more power to the emergency military command so that it could take steps to improve the effectiveness of the operation to restore security.
In the period ahead, an evaluation is still needed in so far as whether the military emergency status in Aceh needs to be extended or not on the basis of the situation on the ground, bearing in mind the rapid changes which have occurred in the dynamics of situation.
“In order to safeguard the momentum of the success of the integrated operation, whatever decision is taken by the government, as long as the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is still capable of disrupting security, the military operation in Aceh will still be needed. Therefore TNI troop numbers in Aceh will be maintained until conditions are considered to be safe for life to return to normal”, he said.
The meeting, which was headed by the vice-chairperson of the DPR’s Commission I, Amris Hasan (from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle fraction), ran smoothly and with a general agreement on [the issues discussed]. There were not many comments or critical views put forward by the 25 commission members who were present.
Dilemma
Endriartono also reveled that the is a dilemma in the implementation of the integrated operation in Aceh [saying] the humanitarian operation should be more intensive and prominent compared to other operations. However in certain situations, the humanitarian operation can only be carried out if security is created first.
“Obviously the humanitarian operation must be more prominent because it is of course what can resolve the roots of the problems in Aceh”, he said.
Endriartono gave an example of times when the Department of Housing and Regional Infrastructure had repeatedly asked the TNI to undertake road construction work. However, if this were to be done and security over construction projects was given to the TNI, the TNI would not be able confront GAM effectively.
“What we can do and prioritise is the humanitarian operation which continues to touch on the needs of ordinary people, such as the construction of the people’s schools and houses which have been burn down”, he said.
Once again, Endriartono revealed the difficulties in confronting GAM which uses the strategy of a guerrilla war. Because of this, [the TNI] feels that six months is not long enough to debilitate GAM forces.
“A guerrilla war cannot be finished in one or two months. In our experience in confronting Darul Islam(1) [for example], was it required several decades. East Timor, that took 23 years, even though it [eventually] separated from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The United States in Vietnam [fought for] decades and fled in disarray. There has never been a guerrilla force which could be dealt with in just three or six months”, he said.
With regard to the DPR Commission I proposal that a regional military command (Kodim) be established in each regency and a sub-district military command (Koramil) in each sub-district in Aceh, the TNI was in agreement. However its realisation would be based on the availability of funds. For the period 2000-2004, it is planned to establish two Kodims in the Singkil and Sabang regencies along with a number of Koramils. (KSP/INU)
Notes
1. Darul Islam – House of Islam movement, which fought a bitter but unsuccessful 14-year (1948-62) campaign to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
