ACHEH-SUMATRA NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT
MILITARY CENTRAL COMMAND
THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
PRESS RELEASE
21.06.05
The fake mass 'release of GAM prisoners,' the ongoing human rights violations
and the covert movement of thousands of Indonesian troops from their posts to
camps hidden from foreign eyes raise the same old questions about Indonesia's
commitment to peace and justice in Acheh.
Indonesia's much-trumpeted release of 214 GAM prisoners is supposed to show its
commitment to the peace process. The problem is that none of those 'released'
was GAM or even a prisoner. They were in fact villagers who had turned
themselves in because they had some contact with GAM and were scared by
Indonesian threats.
Following established routine, these men and women were placed in a large camp
for six months of 'training' and patriotic 're-education.' Among other useful
skills, they learned how to wave an Indonesian flag properly and sing the
Indonesian national anthem on key. They are among some 1000 people who have
been similarly 're-educated' and let go since the martial law was imposed in
May 2003. But, up to now, no convicted GAM member has been released based on
amnesty during the past two years.
This week, Indonesia stepped up the flag-waving. This time the flags - mostly
in the hands of military-run East Timor-style militias - were accompanied by
banners: 'Stop EU interference', 'The TNI [Indonesian military] protects us'
and 'End the unpatriotic peace talks'. Among the flag-wavers were new devotees
to Jakarta's cause: entire GAM families rounded up last week and tortured,
including multiple-rape and electric shocks. Indonesia would have us believe
they eagerly chanted, "Long live national unity" and "We love Indonesia".
The devil, it is said, rests in the details. And the Indonesian military devils
know that all too well. So if these devils can't stop an agreement in Helsinki,
experience tells us they will seek to decide the details in practice, in the
field. In so doing, they hope to make any accord wholly favorable to them or to
simply undermine it over time. The secretive relocation of large numbers of
Indonesian soldiers suggests such efforts are now under way.
The movement of troops to camps in the hills and forests is an attempt to hide
the military's real numbers in preparation for the visit to Aceh of a European
Union assessment team later this month. The conclusions of the team will help
determine the number and type of monitoring personnel the EU will send if there
is a settlement. Fewer apparent Indonesian troops in the province would
probably mean a smaller mission.
The failure of past cease-fires and agreements was in part due to a lack of
international monitors in sufficient numbers to investigate complaints and with
enough power to compel compliance. In the past - and in the Helsinki
negotiations - Indonesia has sought to keep the capacity and number of monitors
at the lowest possible level. It's easy to understand why: The succession of
illegal government occupying Acheh these past decades want neither the
exhumation of past atrocities nor the monitoring of their current criminal
connivances.
Of course, no one familiar with the history of successive Indonesian
governments and their armed forces - whether in East Timor, Papua or Java -
will be surprised by their latest shenanigans. Indonesia's dirty war against
the Achehnese has always had a disinformation and propaganda component for
internal and international consumption.
Indonesia's latest smoke and mirrors don't fool the Achehnese, but might cloud
the view of well-meaning Indonesians and confuse foreign governments and their
concerned citizens.
At this critical time, knowing the truth about Acheh is more important than
ever.
MILITARY CENTRAL COMMAND
21.06.05
Sofyan Dawood
TNA Spokesman
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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