A. Junaidi and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Activists and researchers have urged an end to the involvement of militia groups in Nanggroe Aceh Darrusalam in the operation against rebels, saying the military is virtually pitting civilians against each other.
Observation by the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) cited increased mobilization of civilians by the Indonesian Military (TNI) since the "integrated operation" was launched in the province. However some villagers said they had armed themselves in self defense against the rebels, who forced them into GAM or extorted or intimidated them.
Critics have said the government operation is largely a military action against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) while three other aspects – the humanitarian field, law enforcement and improved performance of the local bureaucracy – have been given far less attention.
The operation was launched last year, coinciding with the declaration of martial law in Aceh on the midnight of May 18, 2003. Earlier the government announced it could no longer negotiate with GAM. Martial law is slated to end on May 19.
Amiruddin al Rahab of ELSAM said the TNI had "urged the people to mark with red the houses of suspected GAM members and report their suspicions to the authorities."
"It's like letting people kill each other," Aceh-born Amiruddin told a seminar evaluating one year of military operation in Aceh. Speakers at talks held by the student association of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) and the Youths and Student Antiviolence Movement (Kompak), urged warring parties to return to negotiations. Philip Vermonte of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said if TNI did not stop recruiting civilian militia, "Aceh could end up like East Timor." Hundreds of militia groups ran amok in the territory, killing people and destroying buildings after the majority vote for independence in 1999.
Separately TNI spokesman Maj.Gen.Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the civilian groups were not militia but "fronts for people's resistance in an emergency".
The military was requested by the local government to train and organize them, he said, "but they are not armed and are non combatants," and their purpose was self defense.
Amiruddin suspected the use of militia – called by some the People's Protection (Linmas) – was related to the TNI's target, which Aceh's martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya said was "to eliminate GAM at its grass roots".
Since the military operation began, TNI claims at least 1,300 GAM members have been killed and 2,000 other members and sympathizers arrested.
Samsidar of the National Commission on Antiviolence Against Women said the commission had "lost count" of villages now populated mainly by women and children.
The year-long military operation "has brought suffering similar to that endured under the 10-year military operation," which was revoked in 1999, Samsidar said. The previous operation was also aimed at the elimination of GAM, but many youths who grew up in that period were later recruited by GAM.
Meanwhile GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood said GAM would not retaliate against civilians found to have helped the TNI should martial law be revoked.
"However armed militia must disarm themselves ... GAM has no plan to harm its own people, Sofyan said. Several informants of past operations have been found dead.