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'TAPOL calls for all non-organic Indonesian troops to be withdrawn from Acheh, paving the way for demilitarisation so as to allow the conflict to be resolved by peaceful means.'
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 mbassador Nana Sutresna said that Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, wants 'a humanitarian pause' to be declared during Ramadhan'.
However, ten days ago, President Megawati issued a presidential decree instructing the Indonesian armed forces to continue with their operations in Acheh. Acheh is located on the northern tip of Sumatra. Since the first presidential decree for military operations was issued in April this year, the troops have intensified their operations, resulting in a sharp escalation in
the level of violence. As many as a thousand people have been killed since then, the vast majority of whom were non-combatants. While civilian deaths have been mounting in Afghanistan as a result of the US bombing, even more civilians have been killed in Acheh as a result of the continuing violence perpetrated largely by the Indonesian armed forces, in their efforts to crush GAM, the Acheh Freedom Movement.
Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL said: 'We strongly support these moves to end the bombing in Afghanistan but Indonesia should set an example by halting military operations in Acheh. The vast majority of Achenese are devout Muslims and will be fasting, along with tens of millions of Muslims in the rest of Indonesia, during Ramadhan. They too are entitled to be free from hostilities during that sacred Muslim month and thereafter'.
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| Papuans with motion-picture technology at a television store. |
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TAPOL calls for all non-organic Indonesian troops to be withdrawn from Acheh, paving the way for demilitarisation so as to allow the conflict to be resolved by peaceful means.
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'War has been raging in Acheh for years, resulting in many thousands of casualties. In the past twelve years, thousands have been killed of have disappeared, women have been raped and children orphaned.'
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War has been raging in Acheh for years, resulting in many thousands of casualties. In the past twelve years, thousands have been killed of have disappeared, women have been raped and children orphaned. Yet ever since the days of the Suharto era, no Indonesian government has shown a real willingness to stop the bloodshed. In June 2000, the two sides in the conflict agreed to a 'humanitarian pause' — the term that Jakarta now wants to apply to Afghanistan——but the level of killings continued. In January this year, the two sides agreed to conduct a 'political dialogue' but before this decision could take effect, GAM negotiators were arrested in a serious breach of faith. Although they are no longer being held, they now face charges of 'treason' while the violence continues unabated.
Widespread military operations are also underway in West Papua, the most easterly part of Indonesia. TAPOL warns that if these military operations are not halted forthwith, the situation there could escalate into a situation of war as now exists in Acheh.
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK. Tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653 0322. Email: tapol@gn.apc.org; Web: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
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