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Indonesia extends mastial law in aceh { November 4 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56380-2003Nov3.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56380-2003Nov3.html
Indonesia Extends Martial Law in Unsettled Province
By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, November 4, 2003; Page A22
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov. 3 -- President Megawati Sukarnoputri's cabinet decided Monday to extend martial law in Aceh, the country's westernmost province , where government forces have been fighting separatist rebels since May, when peace talks broke down and emergency rule was declared.
While Megawati initially promised that martial law would last only six months, senior military officers have said repeatedly they intend to continue their campaign beyond the Nov. 19 deadline.
At least 40,000 security forces have pushed the rebels out of Aceh's main towns and into the mountains, but that offensive -- Indonesia's largest since its 1975 invasion of East Timor -- has not succeeded in destroying the separatist movement.
Indonesia's senior security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, acknowledged after the cabinet meeting that in terms of personnel and weaponry, the rebels "still have significant power."
He also said the extension of martial law was required to ensure that voters in Aceh could participate in Indonesia's presidential and parliamentary elections next year. "Under conditions of martial law, it would be easier to guarantee the security of society and therefore to have a successful election in Aceh," Yudhoyono said. He added, "If the situation is unsafe, how can you leave your home and join the campaign?"
The government will also offer amnesty to separatists who surrender during the period of martial law, he said. The cabinet is scheduled to reconvene Thursday to determine the duration of the extension, although a minister present at the meeting Monday said it would likely be for another four to six months.
During the latest offensive, military officials said, the army has killed more than 900 members of the Free Aceh Movement, which has been fighting since 1976 for an independent homeland on the tip of the island of Sumatra. Officials said 63 soldiers and police have been killed in the recent offensive.
Some diplomats and human rights activists said that many of those killed by the security forces appeared to have been civilians. The extent of civilian casualties remains unclear because Indonesia has restricted the activities of reporters and human rights groups in the province.
While U.S. officials have said they oppose the rebels' goal of independence, they have urged Megawati to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict and address Acehnese aspirations for greater autonomy.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
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