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Indon army continues Aceh attacks
THE Indonesian military continues to launch raids against separatist rebels in tsunami-devastated Aceh province, despite having earlier called a ceasefire to assist aid efforts."Our security operations continue," Lieutenant Colonel Nachrowi of the military headquarters general information department said. "The only difference is that it may be less in scale and intensity. "The principle is that all our forces in Aceh are basically continuing their duty under the security operation. But they also have to accord a large portion of their time for the humanitarian relief efforts. "We continue to launch raids into suspected GAM (Free Aceh Movement) areas and our vigilance remains high." Lt-Col Nachrowi's comments come despite Indonesian military chief General Endriartono Sutarto previously calling for an unprecedented temporary ceasefire with the rebels to help rebuild the remote province. "All my soldiers will be used to help overcome this natural disaster and I hope that GAM will also do the same, not using the opportunity for something else because this is really something to do with humanitarian problems," Gen Sutarto said on Monday. Much of the western coast of Aceh, including the capital, Banda Aceh, was demolished in the massive tsunamis triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake in the ocean 150km from the province. The Indonesian death toll from the tsunamis has reached nearly 80,000 people, with most of the fatalities in Aceh, and the figure is expected to climb further as rescue workers reach remote towns and villages. The inability to quickly rebuild infrastructure in Aceh is being partly attributed to the decades-old insurgency that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. The Free Aceh Movement has been fighting for independence since 1976, and the Indonesian Government stepped up its military suppression efforts with a massive operation that began in May 2003. Amid the apparent calls for ceasefire, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged GAM rebels yesterday to lay down their weapons and join efforts to rebuild Aceh. "I call on those who are still raising arms, to come out... let us use this historic momentum to join and be united again," Mr Yudhoyono said. "I call on them all, let us together build an Aceh in line with the special autonomy and according to what we can do together." Posted by: tipper 2004-12-31 |
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