Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – What’s the relationship with the commemoration of the Indonesia’s 59th anniversary and the state of civil emergency in Aceh? Who knows. What is clear is that activists from the Solidarity Movement for the Acehnese People (Solidaritas Gerakan untuk Rakyat Aceh, Segera) held an action greeting the anniversary and bringing with them demands for the abolition of the state of civil emergency in Aceh.

The action was held by 30 or so Segera activists at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Jalan M.H. Thamrin in Jakarta and started at 12.20pm on Monday August 16. During the action the demonstrators also distributed flowers to drivers of passing motor vehicles.

Segera coordinator, Arie Aryanto, said that although Aceh us now under a state of civil emergency the military’s power is still evident in Aceh. “The celebration of independence day this time will have no meaning if militaristic policies are still being applied in Aceh”, she said.

Further more continued Arie, the nation is currently faced with the huge threat from militarism. “And the fact is that the threat of militarism has emerged in the midst of the second-round of the presidential elections. Especially so since the existence of a plan to enact the draft law on the armed forces”. (gtp)

[Translated by James Balowski.]