Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Two home-made bombs exploded near the airport hours before President Megawati Sukarnoputri's lightning visit to Aceh yesterday, adding urgency to her pledge to restore security to the province.
The blasts forced the military to deploy two battalions – at least 1,300 soldiers – to beef up security around the Banda Aceh airport and beyond, said Aceh military commander Djali Yusuf. Police were also out in force, he said.
But he dismissed speculation that the explosions, which occurred 7 km and 5 km away, were intended to disrupt Ms Megawati's visit.
"No, there was no connection," he told the Straits Times. "Everything is calm here, why should we be tense? Otherwise we will be sick with stress." He pointed out that bomb explosions were a common occurrence in the province that has seen more than 12,000 people killed during a decade of separatist conflict.
The President, who did not leave the airport compound during her hour-long visit, made an emotional speech to a 500-strong crowd, promising to restore security and prosperity to Aceh.
"As a president who always strives for an Indonesia that is strong, whole and united, it is really my wish that the people of Aceh can return to a safe, and peaceful life and progress," she said.
Wearing a modest blue dress and a scarf over her head, she said in her 10-minute speech: "I will do whatever I can do, to always be with the people of Aceh in building a safe, peaceful, prosperous and progressive life, within the integrity of the family of our nation." Her team included her spouse Taufik Kiemas and top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Inaugurating a new provincial airline, Ms Megawati recalled how the Acehnese had contributed to Indonesia's independence struggle by donating money to buy the young republic's first aircraft.
However, local residents seemed unmoved. They criticised the brevity of the visit and said the military operation in the province had to be rolled back if Ms Megawati wanted to win them over.
"We have had many presidents who come here and make huge promises and cry for us but we need more than tears," said building contractor Zoel in Banda Aceh. He said former presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid failed to keep promises they made during visits to Aceh.
After two years of negotiations with the pro-independence Free Aceh rebels (GAM), the government has now given them a December deadline to accept a proposal for autonomy and cease demands for independence. Once the deadline expires, it says it will launch an even tougher operation than the current one, which has 30,000 troops fighting about 3,000 GAM members.
Analysts such as Rizal Sukma, an Acehnese, say the government's policy swings from satisfying the demands of the military for a heavy operation to crush the rebels to those of the Acehnese to avoid the use of military force and negotiate with the separatists.
He said pro-independence sentiments would remain high as long as the government failed to prosecute the security forces for human rights violations.