Labour struggle

Indonesia must address labor problems: Badawi

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Jakarta -- Malaysia, which has been aggressively looking at business opportunities in Indonesia, joined a host of other foreign countries on Wednesday in voicing concerns about the growing militancy among Indonesia's labor unions.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, winding up his high-profile three-day visit in Indonesia, told reporters that investors would turn to other countries if they found that industrial relations in Indonesia were not attractive.

Badawi, whose entourage included 72 CEOs from top Malaysian companies in various sectors -- oil and gas, plantation and telecommunications among them -- held a breakfast meeting with local news editors to give his impressions of the visit.

The investment climate in Asia has become fiercely competitive especially from cheap labor in other countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China, that investors could simply relocate if they felt the labor unions were too militant, he said.

"They would shut down their plants and move elsewhere," Badawi said, adding that Malaysia too has had its share of foreign companies relocating to the more attractive north.

It was Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, Rastam Mohd. Isa, who cited the growing militancy among Indonesia's labor unions as one of the major concerns among Malaysian investors, including those who are already operating in Indonesia. "Indonesia could price itself out of the competition because of this," the ambassador said.

Japan and South Korea, two major sources of foreign direct investment for Indonesia, have also cautioned about the growing problem of industrial relations in Indonesia as a major factor that could discourage their companies from coming here.

Badawi on Tuesday urged the accompanying Malaysian business leaders to explore the investment opportunities in Indonesia.

Some of these companies were also looking at the possibility of buying corporate assets currently in the hands of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).

Financial group Commerce Assets-Holding Bhd, which owns Malaysia's third largest banking group Bumiputera-Commerce, is one of the two final bidders for the assets of medium-sized Bank Niaga. Malaysian consortia are also vying for some of Jakarta's toll road construction projects.

Badawi promised on Wednesday that the government would play an active role in monitoring the follow up of all the business agreements and discussions held during his visit in Indonesia. "Our role is to facilitate, not to obstruct the investors," he said.

Malaysia is particularly keen in helping Indonesia resolve its economic problems because of the Islam-Malay cultural connections between the two countries, Badawi said.

At a time when the world was concerned about growing Islamic militancy, Malaysia and Indonesia could become the model of "progressive, yet moderate Islamic countries," he said.

While Malaysia won praise from the US and Australia for clamping down hard against radical Islamic groups, Indonesia has been widely criticized for its lack of action.

Badawi broached Malaysia's proposal to host a secretariat for a new forum that groups the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Japan, South Korea and China.

The ASEAN+3, as the loose forum is presently called, is the culmination of a long campaign by Kuala Lumpur to establish an economic organization for East Asian countries.

The idea initially received a cool response from Japan, and was rejected by Australia and the United States who feared the establishment of an economic bloc in the region. But it has now picked up after leaders of the three countries joined the ASEAN summit on two occasions already.

"Japan is today far more receptive to the idea," Badawi said, adding that ASEAN+3 could also provide the groundwork for such conferences as the Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Badawi recalled that it was at an ASEAN+3 summit in Kuala Lumpur that China gave its word that it would not devalue its currency, knowing that such a drastic measure would hurt many Southeast Asian economies. "They [China] have stuck to their promise," he said.

Workers rally for better pay

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Medan -- Thousands of workers at state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara II continued their protest here on Wednesday, demanding their firm's president director Suhairi Lubis be fired for failing to provide them with better pay.

The demonstrators started the rally on Tuesday in the North Sumatra capital and most of them held out a day later.

Erecting makeshift tents and a kitchen at a parking lot of the governor's office, they vowed to continue the strike until Saturday or until the company and local authorities heeded their demands.

The workers urged North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin to convey their aspirations to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi and Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea.

Sondang Sitompul, the vice chairman of the company's Merdeka labor union, said Suhairi should be dismissed as president director because he did not care about the welfare of his employees.

The workers were formerly paid a monthly salary of Rp 280,000 which was raised to Rp 310,000 in January following pressure from the labor union, he said, but the increase was way below this year's official provincial minimum wage (UMP) of Rp 464,000, Sondang added.

Strike appears over at largest cigarette factory

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Jakarta -- A five-day strike by thousands of workers at Indonesia's largest cigarette company Gudang Garam appeared to have ended on Monday.

"By noon, there were no longer workers on strike gathering in front of the factory but I cannot yet say whether the strike is over," said a member of the company's public relations office.

"I can only tell you that the workers are no longer visibly protesting in front of the factory." The strike by some of the workers at the Kediri plant in East Java began on May 30. They are seeking a 100 percent increase in basic salary, the AFP reported.

"Our demand is not a difficult one because Gudang Garam is one of the country's richest companies," one of the workers, Wanto, said.

Aceh/West Papua

Six people dead in Indonesia fighting

Associated Press - June 9, 2002

Jakarta -- Security forces shot and killed five separatist rebels, while one solider died as clashes persisted in Indonesia's restive Aceh province, the military said Sunday.

Rebels ambushed a security patrol in the Bireun district in northern Aceh, killing one soldier, local military spokesman Maj. Zaenal Mutaquin said.

Troops shot three guerillas in the eastern part of the province and two other rebels were killed in the north, Mutaquin said without giving further detail.

A rebel who spoke on condition of anonymity said only one of the dead was a member of the separatist Free Aceh Movement, while the rest were unarmed civilians, including one woman.

Guerrillas have been fighting since 1976 for the independence of Aceh province on the northern end of Sumatra island, which is rich in oil and natural gas. At least 12,000 people have been killed, including about 500 this year.

Human rights groups say both the guerrillas and Indonesian security forces have carried out abuses, including kidnapping, rape and torture.

Aceh, about 1,200 miles northwest of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is one of several regions in sprawling Southeast Asian island nation that are plagued by separatist, racial or religious violence.

Road blocks leave thousands facing food shortages in Aceh

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Banda Aceh -- As killings continue in restive Aceh province, tens of thousands of people in three subdistricts of Pidie regency are facing food shortages following a road block by separatist rebels.

Local officials said on Wednesday, the three remotesubdistricts -- Tangse, Mane and Geumpang -- had been isolated since the single road to Sigli was barricaded with big stones and tree trunks three days ago.

Head of Tangse subdistrict Ridwan said cars and motorcycles were not able to pass through the road blockade located in the mountainous area of Linggong Panyang currently controlled by members of the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Local residents did not dare pass the deserted area, where echoes of gunfire were often heard, he added.

Ridwan said the road block had diminished food stocks in the isolated subdistricts since last Sunday.

Pidie district military chief Maj. Taufik Risnandar said government troops had been dispatched to the region and an exchange of fire had ensued at Manee village but there were no reports of casualties.

Pidie's GAM spokesman Abu Nizam claimed that around 500 of the armed guerrillas controlled strategic locations in the threemountainous subdistricts.

He claimed the move was aimed at preventing villagers from becoming victims of human rights abuses by military troops, adding that GAM personnel chose to fight with them to protect civilians.

"GAM is responsible for all attacks to counter violent actions by the Indonesian Military (TNI)," Nizam added.

In a related development, fresh firefights continued across Aceh on Tuesday in at least five locations, killing at least one a member of the local police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit, andone rebel.

Local police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Achmad, said on Wednesday First Brig. Kusmayanto from the West Java capital of Semarang was shot dead in a gunfight with separatists in the area of Krueng Unoe in Sampoiniet subdistrict, West Aceh. A GAM member was also killed in the clash, he added.

Meanwhile, director of the Banda Aceh-based Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Rufriadi said that human rights abuses had increased in the strife-torn province. He urged the central government to allow international rapporteurs to intervene.

At least 393 cases were recorded in Aceh by LBH last month. "It shows there is no reduction in the number of violent incidents here," Rufriadi said.

Such a security condition should have prompted the government to allow United Nations rapporteurs to come to Aceh for investigative purposes, Rufriadi said.

The Indonesian government has rejected a European Union's recommendation for the UN to dispatch a team of investigators to the restive province.

Rufriadi said all the human rights abuses were committed by military and police personnel during May. "That's what was reported by our regional network. The violence committed by GAM has not been recorded yet," he added.

He said the arrests of at least 117 people by local security authorities topped the recorded cases of violence, adding that all of them are still being detained.

Among the detainees is Kusofiyan, leader of the Brotherhood Solidarity for Victims of Human Rights Abuses, who is being held at the South Aceh Police office.

Also included in the May human rights abuses were 82 cases of killing, disappearances of 29 civilians and 163 cases of torture. "The human rights abuses are real in Aceh. Don't cover them up any longer," Rufriadi said.

Four killed in latest round of violence in Aceh

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Banda Aceh -- Fierce armed clashes broke out in five different locations in Aceh on Tuesday, killing a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) policeman and a rebel of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM),an official said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, at least two civilians, one of them the wife of alocal politician in Aceh, were found dead with gunshot wounds.

Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Achmad said that Brig. Kusmayadi of the Brimob unit was killed in a gunfight withGAM rebels at the Krueng Unoe area of Sampoiniet district in WestAceh on Tuesday.

In restive Pidie regency, a GAM rebel identified as Andi Daniel, 26, was killed in a 30-minute gunbattle in Dayah Pangwavillage on Tuesday, military spokesman Maj. Zaenal Mutaqqin said.An AK-47 semiautomatic rifle and some 120 bullets plus a radiotransmitter were seized from the dead rebel.

In Bireun regency, the Indonesia Red Cross recovered the body of 36-year-old Tisara Muhammad, who had been kidnapped by rebelson Saturday, her son Muhammad Rizal said on Tuesday evening. Herbody was recovered from a river in Paya Cut village of Peusangandistrict.

Tisara was the wife of the late Abed Beuransah, a Golkar Party figure in North Aceh. Abed was shot dead three years agoafter being abducted by alleged rebels.

The last casualty found on Wednesday was the body of an unidentified male bearing gunshot wounds in Naleung Mameh villagenear the housing complex of PT Arun NGL. Co in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh. The body was also evacuated by Red Cross workers.

At least four more people killed in Aceh

Agence France Presse - June 3, 2002

At least four more people -- including a suspected separatist rebel -- have been killed in Indonesia's Aceh province, according to the military and residents.

Two male bodies with gunshot wounds were found at Keude Trieng in the northern district of Bireuen on Sunday, residents said on Monday. Cut Manyak, local deputy commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), said they had been arrested by the military the previous day.

Troops shot dead a suspected rebel following an ambush of a military patrol at Lancok Baroh in Pidie district on Saturday, said Aceh military spokesman Major Zaenal Muttaqin.

A soldier was wounded by a bullet in the thigh during another clash with rebels at Matangkuli in North Aceh on Sunday, he said.

A worker at a local fertiliser plant was found dead with gunshot wounds on the outskirts of Lhokseumawe on Saturday, residents said. They said he had been abducted at his home by an unidentified group on Friday.

Soldiers arrested seven suspected GAM members during a raid in Kampung Baru near the provincial capital Banda Aceh on Sunday, said another military spokesman, Major Ertoto.

He said two handguns and cash totalling 29 million rupiah (3,300 dollars) were seized. A local GAM spokesman said the seven were civilians.

The Free Aceh Movement has been fighting since 1976 to establish an independent state in the province on Sumatra island. More than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict, including over 500 this year alone.

East Timor

Jakarta military reveals its wounds

The Australian - June 8, 2002

Don Greenlees -- Soon after midnight on May 20, after the East Timorese flag had been raised, and the new nation declared independent, Indonesia's armed forces commander Admiral Widodo Adisucipto went up on the deck of the support ship Tandjung Kambani and watched the celebratory fireworks erupt along the East Timorese shoreline.

On the vessel, moored 3 km off the coast, senior navy officers said the party marvelled at the pyrotechnics from their convenient vantage point.

What should have been a discomforting evening for an armed forces that had been wounded by its experience in Timor passed in curious fashion.

Before enjoying the fireworks, Widodo had watched the televised coverage of the independence ceremonies in the ward room, while some of the crew sang karaoke or went fishing.

But the very presence of Indonesia's armed forces commander on a navy ship off the Timor coast on the night it gained independence was the result of his organisation's difficulties in coming to terms with the loss of East Timor in 1999.

Senior military sources said he had joined the Tandjung Kambani off East Timor only as a contrivance to avoid an invitation from President Megawati Sukarnoputri to accompany her on shore as part of Indonesia's official party witnessing the declaration of independence.

Even weeks away from retirement, Widodo didn't feel he could justify to his colleagues a decision to represent the armed forces at this momentous event. He had come up with the excuse that he was personally overseeing the President's security from his command ship as a pretext to decline the invitation.

In Jakarta, the extent of sore feelings varied among the retired and serving officer corps. At one extreme were some veterans of Indonesia's 1975 invasion of East Timor, Operation Seroja. A group of retired officers and junior personnel marked the declaration of independence by gathering to burn their Seroja campaign medals in protest.

"There is still a lot of ill-feeling about this," says one Indonesian military analyst. "It is a question of hurt pride."

The armed forces were determined not to be apologetic as East Timor claimed its independence. The flotilla Widodo put together to manage Megawati's "security" comprised six vessels.

Although only one of the six ships was strictly speaking a combat ship (a corvette), East Timorese and foreigners attending the independence ceremonies interpreted the presence of the vessels off the coast as a signal of the Indonesian military's unrepentance.

East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta described the deployment as an "ostentatious display" of military might.

A few Indonesians shared Ramos Horta's chagrin. Says retired Lieutenant-General Hasnan Habib: "It was incredible. I didn't believe it when I heard it. A lot of people thought, 'this is too exaggerated'."

Later, perhaps because of international embarrassment, the Indonesian military tried to play down the issue. Military sources in Jakarta said Widodo had initially wanted the whole operation, including his own presence, kept secret. The news started to come out after the eastern fleet commander, Rear Admiral I Gede Argawa, briefed the West Timor Governor.

The sources maintain only three vessels intruded into East Timorese territorial waters, all invited. Ramos Horta says only two vessels were approved: a helicopter-capable hospital ship and a landing ship to bring vehicles and security personnel.

Regardless of whether the intentions were benign or not, the incident reflects the problem the Indonesian armed forces is having in coping with East Timor's separation and its inability to apply the lessons of this loss to its other security challenges, in particular Aceh and Papua.

The difficulties are manifested in trials under way in Jakarta for human rights abuses committed before and after the 1999 referendum, which paved the way for East Timor's independence.

The first round of trials includes the former governor, the former police chief, and four army officers and one police officer accused of permitting a massacre.

Teacher tells court how he helped bury Timor victims

Reuters - June 5, 2002

Jakarta -- A former school teacher told an Indonesian human rights court on Wednesday that he helped load the bodies of murdered priests, women and children from the East Timor township of Suai into cars and drive miles to bury them.

The court, conducting a slew of cases over the violence surrounding East Timor's vote to break from Indonesian rule in 1999, also heard how the military failed to stop militiamen killing the victims, who had sought refuge in a local church.

"There were 27 victims ... we put them into three different cars: one car for the three priests, another for the 10 women and the other car for the men," former teacher Pranoto told the court. "We then decided to take the dead to be buried outside Suai ... we dug three big graves," he added.

Pranoto was testifying at the trial of former East Timor Governor Abilio Soares who has been charged with crimes against humanity. The case has been adjourned until Thursday.

Prosecutors have accused Soares of allowing pro-Jakarta militia to go on a rampage, killing and wounding pro-independence East Timorese on at least four separate occasions between April and September 1999.

The United Nations estimates more than 1,000 people were killed before and after the vote on August 30, 1999 to break from 24 years of often brutal Indonesian rule.

Soares is one of 18 suspects facing trial in the newly established court in central Jakarta, but rights groups are sceptical those responsible for the carnage will be adequately punished.

Among their criticisms is the court's failure to put General Wiranto, Indonesia's military chief at the time, on trial.

They also believe compelling witness testimonies like those from Pranoto or from victims flown in from East Timor, will have little impact. The court last week called its first witness from East Timor to testify about the violence.

East Timor was declared formally independent at an emotion- charged ceremony last month when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan handed over the reins of power. The former Portuguese territory had been under UN administration since late 1999.

Man cited in church attack a soldier, military chief says

Agence France Presse - June 6, 2002

Jakarta -- A former Indonesian district army chief admitted on Thursday that a man alleged to have led a bloody attack on a church in East Timor in April 1999 was a soldier.

Lieutenant Colonel Asep Kuswandi, formerly head of the Liquica district military command, told a human rights court that Tome Diego was a member of the Liquica military.

Two survivors of the massacre in which 22 people died have testified that Diego was among the leaders of the attack which occurred in the wake of East Timor's vote for independence from Indonesia.

One witness, Amelio Baretto, said last week he saw and heard Diego, in civilian clothes, lead the raid yelling: "Attack." Kuswandi, who is himself awaiting trial in the rights court, said he did not know whether Diego was among the attackers.

"I only ordered my men to go to the church when the incident broke out, to pacify the two camps and save the people at the church," Kuswandi said. "My men were in the church only to pacify the two camps," he added.

Kuswandi also said he did not know whether soldiers in plainclothes were involved in the attack on the church as some witnesses have alleged.

He also denied that many of the attackers first gathered at the district military headquarters in Liquica, just 50 meters away from the church, before they launched the attack.

The officer was testifying in the trial of former East Timor police chief Brigadier General Timbul Silaen, who is accused of crimes against humanity by failing to halt the massacre of civilians.

Kuswandi described the church incident as "a clash and not an attack" saying that the violence was started by a shot from inside the church compound.

He said some 3,000 people had massed outside the church where some 1,500 people had taken refuge and the vastly outnumbered police and military were powerless to prevent the attack.

Silaen is one of seven people already on trial in separate cases. Eleven others -- including security and civilian officials and an East Timorese militia chief -- are also due to face the court over the campaign of violence and destruction by pro-Jakarta militias in the then-Indonesian province.

The militiamen, backed by some Indonesian soldiers, waged a campaign of intimidation before East Timor's August 1999 vote to separate from Indonesia and a violent scorched-earth revenge campaign afterwards.

The trials are being watched closely by the world for proof that Jakarta will punish those behind the violence.

They are focusing on five incidents in which militias attacked independence supporters seeking refuge in churches and homes in April and September 1999, killing more than 100.

International rights groups are sceptical that the long-delayed rights court will deliver justice.

Court rejects demands of 1 trillion rupiah in Timor damages

Jakarta Post - June 5, 2002

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta -- The Central Jakarta District Court rejected on Tuesday the request by a group of East Timorese refugees demanding former president BJ Habibie to pay Rp 1 trillion (US$115.6 million) in compensation for losses incurred following East Timor's 1999 vote for independence.

The court also declined to declare Habibie or president Megawati Soekarnoputri in violation of any laws which may have caused suffering to the refugees, most of whom are pro-integration militia members who have chosen to stay on in Indonesia.

The verdict stated there was no evidence that the accused had violated the refugees in the class action suit filed by several East Timorese people, including former East Timorese militia leader Eurico Guterres and east Timorese lawyer Nicolay A.B.

They claimed that they were representing about 280,000 refugees, most of whom were forced into Indonesia during the scorched earth revenge campaign following the vote in August 1999.

"Habibie could not be sued for this case as he decided to conduct the vote in his capacity as a public official. He had also presented his accountability speech before the People's Consultative Assembly [MPR] in 1999 before losing in the presidential election," presiding judge Andi Samsan Nganro said.

However, the court ordered the government to accommodate the East Timorese refugees, who opted to stay here instead of going back to East Timor.

The ruling also said the government should grant the refugees their rights as Indonesian citizens, including the right for a proper place to live and a proper life.

"It's the government's obligation to provide the refugees with their rights as citizens by giving legal protection and legal certainty of their residential statues as they deserve to have a good and healthy social life," Judge Andi said.

The verdict is in accordance with the MPR decree No. 5/1999 which requires the government to be responsible for any possible consequences following the 1999 vote.

The government has attempted to relocate the refugees who are in several areas in the country. A few months ago, it halted assistance to the refugees in a bid to encourage them to make a decision -- either to leave or become Indonesian citizens

Lawyer Esther Daturante, who represented the government, asked for a two-week period to consider the appeal. The refugees' lawyer, Suhardi Somomoeljono, said they would consider the accused's decision first before making a possible appeal.

The United Nations reported in May that some 52,000 of the 250,000 refugees are still in West Timor.

Analysts expect 'show trial' for notorious militia leader

South China Morning Post - June 4, 2002

Vaudine England, Jakarta -- Paramilitary leader Eurico Guterres, notorious for his leadership of the East Timorese Aitarak, or Thorn militia, has been charged with crimes against humanity along with six others.

His case will now join the three already underway in an ad hoc human rights court in Jakarta as part of Indonesia's efforts to fend off international demands for a war crimes tribunal.

Guterres' indictment was expected, due to his inclusion on a list compiled by Indonesian investigators early this year, but is interesting because of his continuing close links with Jakarta's ruling elite.

He leads a paramilitary group connected to President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and is regarded by many Indonesians as a patriot and hero for his role in trying to fend off East Timor's vote for independence in 1999.

The attorney-general's office announced the seven new indictments yesterday, bringing the count to 25 people charged so far. They include the Indonesia-appointed last governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares, and the police and armed forces commanders of the time.

The charges all relate to the massacres and widespread terror inflicted on the East Timorese before and after the UN- administered ballot in August 1999 that led to the full declaration of independence on May 20.

Guterres was a flamboyant leader in the carnage, with primary responsibility for violence in the capital, Dili. With his distinctive long hair and a crowd of armed and aggressive gang members, he was often seen strutting the streets of Dili. A native East Timorese, he saw his father killed by Indonesian troops but became a fervent defender of Indonesian occupation of East Timor.

But analysts and close observers of the rights trials say anyone hoping his indictment might bring an end to his career will be disappointed. Experience from the three cases already underway suggest the Indonesian prosecutors are trying hard not to win their cases, they say.

The first witnesses and victims of the violence were only heard in court last week, after a series of sessions in which the defendants were allowed to state their innocence and blame any wrongdoing on the United Nations instead.

"It's an unusual logic to bring in all the people first who would destroy the prosecutors' case, long before hearing any witness testimony," said a member of a Western embassy's trial monitoring team.

Others believe the most likely outcome of all the trials will be acquittal, despite copious evidence of the violence inflicted by Indonesian troops and Jakarta-backed militias.

This is because the definition of a crime against humanity requires proof of planned, widespread and systematic abuse of human rights. "This issue has not even been touched yet in the trials," said Marcus Mietzner, a Jakarta-based expert on the military.

Court discussion has reduced the violence to an alleged outburst of "rioting" by East Timorese that required the troops and militia to restore calm.

Details of exactly who in Jakarta initiated, guided and funded what appeared to be a well-planned and comprehensive programme of intimidation, terror and killings have been studiously ignored.

TNI's new command center makes East Timor nervous

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang -- The Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters has yet to consider transferring the headquarters of the Udayana Regional Military Command from Denpasar, Bali, to the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, Udayana Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa said on Monday.

The two-star general, however, said that a Strategic Command Center, under the supervision of the Udayana Regional Military Commander, would be established in West Timor's town of Atambua, which borders the Democratic Republic of East Timor.

"It's not true that the Udayana Regional Military Command will be moved to West Timor. The truth is that there will be a Strategic Command Center in Atambua," Da Costa said.

He said that the establishment of the strategic command center was not meant to invade or disrupt the neighboring country. "The command will be a non-permanent one. If the problems of refugees are settled and no threats come from East Timor, it will be phased out," he said.

The commander said that if there were attacks launched against West Timor, TNI's jetfighters would reach Kupang in less than an hour.

Rumors of a plan to move the Udayana Regional Military Command to Kupang have given cause for concern to East Timorese people, including President Xanana Gusmao and representatives of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF).

"President Xanana Gusmao and the UNPKF representatives recently met with me in Denpasar, asking whether the TNI would set up a regional military command [Kodam] in Kupang. I told them it was not true," Da Costa said.

He said Gusmao asked whether the rumor to transfer the Udayana Regional Military Command to Kupang was politically motivated and intentionally launched to frighten the East Timorese.

"I've heard that the Udayana Regional Military Command will be moved to Kupang. If it [the rumor] was true, there will be rumors that the TNI will invade East Timor," Gusmao said as quoted by Da Costa.

Separately, Chief of the Wirasakti Resort Military Command, overseeing East Nusa Tenggara province, Col. Moeswarno Moesanip said on Monday that in an attempt to support the operations of the strategic command center in Atambua, the TNI Headquarters would send a fresh battalion, consisting of 600 troops, to defend the border areas in East Nusa Tenggara.

"The 407 Combat Detachment of Central Java's Diponegoro Regional Military Command will be deployed at the border areas to replace the 641 Combat Detachment from Kalimantan's Tanjung Pura Regional Military Command," Moesanip said.

Neo-liberal globalisation

Mega's aide describes IMF demands as dangerous

Straits Times - June 4, 2002

Robert Go, Jakarta -- Indonesia should not extend its contract with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when it expires, said National Development Planning Minister Kwik Kian Gie yesterday in a scathing attack that accused the lender of making policy demands that "complicate" matters and are "dangerous" to the country's recovery programme.

His comments once again placed the outspoken official at odds with his peers and highlighted potential cracks within President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Cabinet.

Given the other ministers' more diplomatic stances towards the Washington-based group, Mr Kwik is unlikely to spark fresh tension between Jakarta and the IMF.

But he echoed opinions held by many local economists and his accusations showed the level of domestic resistance against the IMF's loan programme and its preconditions.

The country's first economic czar under former President Abdurrahman Wahid told reporters: "Without the IMF, Indonesia could still fuel its economy. The IMF should engage in a dialogue aimed at ending its contract.

"Their contract will soon expire. If they can discuss things in a nice way, that will be fine. If they do not want to do so, there should be no effort to extend." The IMF contract with Indonesia ends next year. He added: "What is it doing here? Its policy prescriptions simply complicate the situation."

It was his second attack on the IMF in three days. During a speech given last Saturday, Mr Kwik -- who is a close confidante of Ms Megawati and a deputy chairman of her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle -- described the IMF as Indonesia's new colonial master, and added that the country has no control over its economic and political fates any more.

The IMF, and its rescue plan worth around US$43 billion, entered Indonesia at the beginning of its economic crisis in 1997. Mr Abdurrahman's government agreed to a US$5-billion, three-year loan scheme in 1999, and Ms Megawati's Cabinet secured a one-year extension.

When Mr Abdurrahman's government failed to achieve a number of pledged reform measures, the lender suspended its programme which damaged investor confidence. One of Ms Megawati's first moves after assuming office last July was to bring back the fund's loan scheme and to include "IMF-friendly" economists as ministers.

With Indonesia's economy showing some signs of recovery, other senior economic ministers seemed happy enough not rock the boat.

Mr Mahendra Siregar, a key aide to top economic minister Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, told The Straits Times: "The IMF is always open to discussions with the government. I don't think the present situation would exist without IMF participation.

"The reality is that the IMF programme is seen as a benchmark by other lenders, countries and investors. Another reality is that the government has a successful, very business-like relationship with IMF officials."

Despite assurances that top officials accepted the need for IMF presence now, Mr Mahendra declined to say if Jakarta will seek another extension for the programme.

But in its most aggressive effort so far to clear its books of bad debt associated with the 1997-98 crisis, Indonesia yesterday announced a drive to sell US$17 billion of bad loan portfolios.

An AP report quoted Mr Syafruddin Temenggung, head of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, or IBRA, as saying that the agency was offering for sale a select group of 2,500 loans, many with attractive collateral such as companies or plantations. He said the government hopes to recoup about 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the loans' original value.

Corruption/collusion/nepotism

'Corruption sustained by political ties'

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta -- Corruptors who build on their relationships with leading political figures bring more havoc to the Indonesian legal system than other issues that lead to corruption, including low salaries among the judiciary and the police, a criminologist said on Monday.

Mulyana W. Kusumah said corruptors were able to smooth their way through the corrupt Indonesian legal system by maintaining relations with political leaders, lobbyists and officials of leading political parties.

"Such relationships are maintained here either by paying off leaders and their parties with substantial sums of money, or allegiances to certain camps of leading political parties, in addition to paying off judges and prosecutors as well," Mulyana told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

"These relations end up creating a protection system for corruptors and alleged corruptors. Huge amounts are also paid to political lobbyists, who do the legwork for corruptors."

Mulyana's statements were made in response to the results of a regional survey of expatriates conducted by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), which puts Indonesia at the bottom of the heap, stating that the, "whole legal system is in desperate need of an overhaul". PERC recently stated that, "corruption and political interference" undermined the Indonesian legal system, which had "little integrity".

Even as there was good news in the fight against corruption, with the detention of graft suspect and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and the conviction of Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin in a graft case, several questions remain, like why was Akbar released from detention solely on the word of his wife and why does Sjahril still remain free, after a district court sentenced him to three years in prison.

Any anti-corruption strategy needed a functioning legal system to build on if it is to introduce change, Mulyana said, adding that while protection from political and public pressures was a primary factor for a functioning judiciary, judges must be held accountable for their professional conduct.

"Judges and prosecutors are always at play, since they have all the discretion and rights to detain suspects or send the convicted to jail. Law societies and bar associations must monitor and help in promoting professional standards," Mulyana said.

"Judges need to possess political neutrality, in addition to qualifications and experience. On the other hand, if applicants to the Supreme Court or the Attorney General's Office have to bribe in order to get hired, what hope is left for the court or the office to uphold the law." National Police inspector-general Comr. Gen. Ahwil Luthan added on Monday that corruption was rampant in the police because lucrative opportunities to make fast money illegally was plentiful, and that before joining the police, it is understood that officers are required to work "crazy hours" for very little pay.

"Ground detectives, intelligence staff and their supervisors, sometimes work for 36 hours at a stretch with between three or four hours sleep. They know their monthly salaries will still be less than Rp 950,000," Ahwil said.

Local police state that one way they avoided ripping off conglomerates, was by depending on "generous donations" made out by conglomerates and tycoons, who take an interest in the work of police precincts. A homicide detective of South Jakarta Police, who requested anonymity, said that every time his team arrested a suspected murderer or rapist, about 48 hours after the crime scene has been located, an oil tycoon would award them with money, ranging from Rp 5 million to Rp 10 million.

Secretary to the Indonesian Judges Association, Asep Iwan Iriawan, admitted judges took bribes.

"Some of course are vulnerable to bribery, but that does not mean all judges take bribes. The bad image of corrupt judges is a result of several verdicts in favor of defendants in big cases in Jakarta," Asep said, adding that all judges were under the control of supervisors.

Asep said that a district court judge was supervised by judges in the high court, while a high court judge was watched over by the Supreme Court. Supreme Court justices, however, are not included in this system of supervision. Asep admitted that the control system over judges has not worked well and is susceptible to bribery. District and high court judges are administratively under the Inspectorate General of Justice at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

Expert witnesses say Akbar not quilty

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta -- Legal experts called on to testify for corruption defendant Akbar Tandjung told the court here on Monday that the former minister/state secretary could not be tried as the case had not resulted in losses to the state.

Professors of law Lobby Loqman, Bambang Purnomo, Ismail Sunny and Andi Hamzah, who were presented by Akbar's lawyers as expert witnesses, said Akbar should be acquitted, as the Rp 40 billion state funds allegedly misused by the defendant had been returned. "Corruption cannot be found in this case," Bambang said.

Another defendant, Winfried Simatupang, returned the money after admitting that he had never used it to finance a food-for -the-poor program approved by former president B.J. Habibie for Akbar to implement in 1999. In his testimony at a related trial, Winfried said his move was aimed at protecting Akbar.

Both Andi and Lobby asserted that the ultimate objective in the eradication of corruption was to recover state funds swindled. "The current legal proceedings in corruption cases have resulted in unrecovered state funds and the escape of suspects," Lobby said.

Andi said he dropped a smuggling case when he was a prosecutor in the 1980s after the suspect returned the assets to the state. "Prosecutors in the case received a reward from the state in exchange for the recovery of state assets. I bought a house in Cilandak from my share of the reward," Andi told the court.

In his testimony, Ismail said it was Habibie who should be held accountable for the case because he ordered the program that used State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds. "The defendant was just executing the order, so the responsibility lay with the president," said Ismail, a constitutional law expert.

Monday's hearing was held at the Meteorology & Geophysics Agency (BMG) building in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Central Jakarta District Court decided to move the venue of the trial because the Jakarta Fairground will be used for a month-long annual festival in connection with the commemoration of Independence Day, on August 17.

Local & community issues

Residents protest sub-district chief

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Tangerang -- Dozens of residents of Cipondoh subdistrict rallied at the municipal administration office on Wednesday to protest the new subdistrict chief.

"We want former subdistrict chief Asmawi back, because all of the residents were very happy with his programs," said Madari, one of the residents.

The residents arrived at the office in five pickup trucks and began giving speeches demanding the return of Asmawi, who is now the chief of the Kedaung Wetan subdistrict.

One of the demonstrators, Mardjan, said the residents rejected the new subdistrict chief, Djaelani, because "he is hungry for money".

"Now we have to pay Rp 6,000 [7 US cents] to apply for an ID card. The subdistrict office staff also requires residents to pay off their property taxes when applying for ID cards. What kind of policy is that when the administration has freed residents from having to pay any fees for ID cards," he said.

No one from the municipal administration office met with the protesters, who dispersed at about 12:30 p.m.

News & issues

Tommy firm funded anti-Gus Dur protests

Straits Times - June 6, 2002

Jakarta -- A company owned by Tommy Suharto spent 12 billion rupiah on financing protests against Mr Abdurrahman Wahid after the then Indonesian president rejected his pardon plea in November 2000.

This admission was made yesterday by Mr Dion Hardi who was testifying at the murder and weapons trial of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Suharto.

Mr Dion, Tommy's close friend, is president and director of Mampang Nugraha Prima. He said the money came from the company, owned by Tommy. "I held demonstrations against Gus Dur because I do not like him, someone who had hurt Tommy," he told the court.

Phone-cable theft is big business in Indonesia

Straits Times - June 6, 2002

Robert Go, Jakarta -- The automated message comes in a soothing alto voice: "The number you are calling is being repaired." And it is heard often, as the poor resort to ripping out telephone cables and selling them in local black markets to make a living.

Customer service officers at PT Telkom, Indonesia's state-run telephone provider, list corrosion or natural deterioration of cables, switch boxes and other equipments as other reasons for service disruption to some of the country's 7.2 million lines.

Although they say the incidents of theft of Telkom equipment have dropped during the past two years, the users have yet to feel the difference. But the officers admit that it remains a costly problem for the company, which has a monopoly on the local fixed phone service until 2010.

Mr Agus Yekti Edhy, assistant vice-president at Telkom's customer service deparment, said the problem had begun in the 1990s, adding: "The theft is significant in some areas, especially in urban centres, but not so bad in others." He could not give an indication as to how many kilometres of cables were ripped out by thieves each year, explaining that the data were available at individual regional Telkom offices but are not compiled at a national level.

He also declined to estimate Telkom's annual losses from this problem but said it took a "significant amount" of manpower and money to repair vandalised lines.

Most of Indonesia's network of telephone cables is laid underground, but short segments of lines -- those near switch boxes -- remain above ground and therefore are exposed to potential thieves.

Vandals use saws and cable cutters to get at their targets, usually ripping out 5-m sections from the network. They then sell their loot, often for as low as 2,000 rupiah per kg, to vendors at local markets. The traders then strip off the insulation and sell the copper wires to their customers.

Mr Achmad Syamsudin, one such vendor at Jakarta's Tanah Abang Market, said: "It is a fairly good trade item. Lots of people look for copper wires, and we can sell them cheaper than at hardware stores."

The problem for Telkom, Mr Agus said, was that in order to replace 5 m of ripped out connection line, his firm had to replace one entire segment of cable that could span between 150 to 200 m.

"The thieves only take 5 m, but we have to replace a much longer segment of line. In addition to the length problem, we also have to devote hours of labour to repair each incident," he said.

Indonesia's fixed-line troubles probably explain the popularity of cell phones. By March this year, Telkom, also the largest cellular telephone provider in the country, had registered almost four million cellular-phone users, with the numbers expected to grow.

Indonesian population to rise to 215 million in 2003

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Jakarta -- The population of Indonesia, the world's fourth largest nation, is projected to rise to 215.2 million next year from an estimated 212 million this year, head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Sudarti Surbakti said on Monday.

Sudarti said that based on the final results of a census held in June 2000, the country's population was estimated at 206.3 million. The census in 2000 constituted the fifth census ever conducted after four earlier censuses in 1961, 1971, 1980 and 1990.

"The population of 206.3 million also includes the homeless and others living in stilt houses in remote areas and ship crew members," she said as was quoted by Antara.

Sudarti explained that based on the 2000 census results, the Indonesian population is estimated to have increased to 208.9 million in 2001, 212 million in 2002 and 215.2 million next year.

About 42 percent of Indonesians live in urban areas, she said, adding that the average population growth rate for the 1990-2000 period dropped to 1.49 percent from 1.79 percent in the previous decade. Some 59 percent of the total population in Indonesia lives in Java, an island that accounts for just about 7 percent of the country's total land coverage, she said.

Sudarti said the June 2000 census showed there were some one million more men than women in Indonesia and that some 30 percent of the population was under 14 years of age. Senior citizens over 65 years old accounted for a mere 4.5 percent.

Environment

Police seek to end tension between locals, pulp plant

Jakarta Post - June 6, 2002

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan -- North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai met with leaders of the Batak-Toba Forum (Parbato) on Wednesday to diffuse tension that built after the central government decided to allow pulp and paper company PT Inti Indorayon Utama to resume operations.

Head of North Sumatra Police Public Affairs Office Sr. Com. P.H.H. Manurung said that the meeting was aimed at finding out people's possible reaction to the presence of PT Inti Indorayon Utama, which is expected to resume operations under a new name, PT Toba Pulp Lestari.

"The North Sumatra Police chief wants input from residents of Porsea so that the police can properly handle security issues in the regency," Manurung said.

The meeting took place after news that up to 30,000 people from Porsea and its vicinity would gather at the Porsea public market on Sunday to reject the central government's decision to reopen the pulp and paper company.

Parbato leaders attending the meeting included its chairman Ompu Monang Napitupulu, Alexander Manurung, Farel H.Napitupulu, Frietz Tambunan, Jongkers Tampubolon, Sabam Malau, Bilter Sirait and J.M. Sitanggang.

Ompu Monang said they were asked about the possible reactions from people to the government decision to allow PT Toba Pulp Lestari to reopen.

PT Toba Pulp Lestari was forced to halt its operations in 2000 by former president Abdurrahman Wahid due to environmental damages.

The company was held responsible for the decreasing level of water in Lake Toba and the looting of forests in the province. In addition to being found guilty of dumping toxic waste water directly in the Asahan river, the company also polluted the air, which gave rise to lung diseases in people living in the vicinity.

Dozens of people were killed in a series of demonstrations organized to protest the plant's presence in the small town located on the banks of the Asahan river, which flows from Lake Toba.

The decision to allow PT Toba Pulp Lestari to resume operations was made at a recent Cabinet meeting presided over by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Ompu Monang said the people of Porsea would never allow the pulp and paper company to resume operations in the regency.

"We've urged the police chief to carefully and seriously study why the people of Porsea oppose the company. That will help them carry out their duties, not repression," Ompu Monang said.

PT Toba Pulp Lestari president commissioner Dedi Sutanto said on Wednesday that his company would put more priority on community development programs for people around its plant.

Meanwhile, some 200 students staged a protest in front of the governor's office in Medan on Wednesday, demanding that the government revoke the company's license in Porsea.

Endangered species close to extinction, WWF says

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Jakarta -- An international non-governmental organization (NGO) warned on Monday that endangered species in Indonesia were close to extinction due to poaching and the outlawed animal trade.

Strict enforcement of the law and cooperation among all parties was desperately needed to prevent the extinction of rare animals in the country, said Chairul Saleh, a species conservation officer at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)'s Indonesia office.

Chairul said in 1978 the Sumatran tiger numbered about 1,000 throughout the island. That number dropped drastically to 400 felines in l993 because of illicit trade and hunting.

"People hunt the tiger for its expensive fur, which can fetch up to Rp 8 million per feline," said Chairul after a discussion on endangered species by WWF, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua, as part of the fourth Preparatory Committee Meeting/Ministerial Level for World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The fur of the exotic Sumatran tiger was often traded in big cities throughout Indonesia.

Besides the Sumatran tiger, the orangutan is also threatened. Illegal logging in some parts of their habitat has seriously threatened the existence of this endangered primate.

Chairul further said that about a century ago, some 100,000 orangutans were estimated to be roaming the jungles of Sumatra and Kalimantan. However, there are only some 15,000 orangutans left in these jungles.

"Excessive illegal logging has destroyed the orangutans' habitat, and this could lead to their extinction," said Chairul.

The lack of awareness among people on the conservation of endangered species has also contributed to the threat of their extinction.

Chairul said people were still looking for hides of various endangered species as ornaments for their homes.

To conserve these endangered animals, governments, NGOs and related parties must work together, said Agus Purnomo, the executive director of WWF's Indonesia office.

"Collective action is needed to deal with the problem since the government cannot do this alone," he said.

Religion/Islam

Islamic body wages anti-porn battle with media

Straits Times - June 3, 2002

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta -- Indonesia's main Islamic authority, the Council of Ulema (MUI), is waging a war against television stations and several publications, charging them of veering increasingly towards sex and pornography in the country.

The Muslim clerics in MUI are taking offence at the sight of bikini-clad blondes in highly rated programmes such as Baywatch, as well as the sight of old Indonesian couples embracing one another in ballroom dancing competitions on television.

They are urging the government to take these "pornographic" programmes off the air, and to ban men's publications and raunchy tabloids bearing scantily-dressed women.

MUI Secretary Din Syamsuddin said: "Pornography and porn acts are rampantly promoted by the mass media, causing moral degradation which in the long term can ruin the nation."

MUI and several mostly Muslim groups have set up the National Anti-Pornography Movement, which is currently working on a draft of Anti-Pornography Bill. The group wants to make the definition of pornography more specific than the existing law, to make the law easier to enforce.

Under the current criminal code, pornography is defined ambiguously as an "act that violates decency". As a result, out of some 18 publications questioned by the police over the last few years, none have been successfully proven guilty of publishing pornographic materials.

The Muslim groups have been accusing the government of being too soft on the issue of pornography.

A study by the Habibie Centre, a think-tank linked to the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association, concluded recently that rampant pornography in the free press era has led to the increase of sexual crimes such as rapes, incest and child molestation.

Mr Doddy Yudhista of the Centre's Media Watch and Consumer Centre said the study also showed that about 60 to 70 per cent of pirated VCDs sold by street vendors are porn films.

Tabloids and magazines displaying half naked women with sexual contents also dominate the magazine stands these days. Even mainstream men's magazines like Matra and Popular, which often has models in sexy swim suits on its covers, have "gone pornographic", he said.

"Some of these mainstream magazines have sex consultation columns in language that can arouse a high school student," he told The Straits Times.

But media figures are worried that the crackdown on pornography would justify the return of press repression after the industry was liberalised by the then president B.J. Habibie in 1998. They fear the government would review the publishing licence requirement, which in the government of Suharto was used to maintain a grip on the media industry.

Media observer Hinca Panjaitan said anti-pornography groups, though small in number, are influential pressure groups that could endanger press freedom. "What these groups are doing is using a bomb to kill a mosquito," he told The Straits Times.

Under the existing 1997 law on broadcasting, a broadcasting company that promotes pornographic materials can face three years in jail or 300 million rupiah in fine. Mr Hinca said these groups should take up the pornography problems to court instead of calling on the government to crack down on the media.

Chairman of the Press Council Atmakusumah shared the same views, saying the government should regulate the distribution of publications considered suitable for adults only.

"Sex-related publications should be sold only to adults and their raunchy covers should be covered, while programmes with sexual contents should be aired late at night," he said.

Dancing: Is this porn?

Media figures say the Council of Ulema's war on porn is exaggerated, noting that some of the shows are tame.

These include the highly popular Dansa Yo Dansa on state-owned TVRI where older couples dance to Latin and ballroom music.

West Jakarta mayoralty does U-turn on Muslim attire

Jakarta Post - June 4, 2002

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta -- Strong criticism from the public, particularly legal experts, has changed the West Jakarta Mayoralty's stance on its own instruction obliging students in public and private schools to wear Muslim attire on Fridays.

"It was just advice from the mayoralty but definitely not an instruction -- there was no obligation," West Jakarta Deputy Mayor Amiruddin S. Lubis told reporters on Monday before attending a plenary session at the City Council.

His explanation was completely at odds with the mayoralty's letter of instruction that sets out a list of "obligations" and "calls" on elementary schools, as well as junior high and senior high schools, to heed it.

Instruction No. 101/2001 is titled "Activity program to improve faith and belief in God and good behavior in public schools in West Jakarta".

The wearing of Muslim attire and performing of Friday prayers are listed as obligations, while among the calls is visiting the Istiqlal Grand Mosque.

Amiruddin admitted that the requirements had not yet been discussed with the city education agency. He claimed it was a "bottom-up" idea, only to be applied in West Jakarta. "But if other mayoralties want to follow us, it's up to them," he said.

Amiruddin denied that the new policy was based on the Jakarta Charter, which obliges Muslims to follow syariah (Islamic law). "That's politics. We weren't thinking about that," he said.

He said the call to wear Muslim clothes was aimed at making students, especially female ones, wear "polite clothes" instead of the miniskirts that they often wore currently.

Several legal experts objected to the instruction to oblige students to wear Muslim attire as it was unconstitutional and a violation of human rights.

"It is a violation of human rights and also the Constitution, which stipulates that every citizen is free to practice rituals in accordance with his or her religion," lawyer and women's activist Nursjahbani Katjasungkana said earlier.

Human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis also voiced criticism of the mayoralty for intervening in the personal affairs of the nation, which was known for its pluralism. They doubted that the instruction would achieve its goal of strengthening the moral fiber of students.

Besides lawyers, the students themselves did not believe that the instruction would improve them. "There's no guarantee, if we wore such attire, that our faith would increase," Ardian, a Muslim student of a public senior high school in West Jakarta, said earlier, adding that it was a discrimination against the non- Muslim students.

Many students, who are Muslim, said that they would feel awkward wearing Muslim attire while their non-Muslim friends wore the conventional school uniform.

Armed forces/Police

New military chief vows to protect government

Agence France Presse - June 7, 2002

The new chief of Indonesia's powerful armed forces has been sworn in, promising to protect President Megawati Sukarnoputri from any unconstitutional move to topple her government.

"I will not tolerate anyone who is trying to destabilise the government because it only brings harm to this nation," army General Endriartono Sutarto said on Friday.

The armed forces "will not interfere as long as [political changes] take place constitutionally," Sutarto told reporters.

During his tenure as army chief, Sutarto defied an attempt by Megawati's predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid to declare a state of emergency. This would have allowed Wahid to disband the legislature, which later sacked him in favour of Megawati.

Sutarto, sworn in by Megawati, replaces Admiral Adisucipto Widodo but does not take over till June 18. The military said in a statement this was because Widodo "still has activities remaining which must be completed in accordance with his duties." It gave no details. Sutarto, 55, was head of the presidential security unit under former dictator Suharto.

He said the military would "maintain its commitment to the public to stay away" from politics and focus on its defence role. The military played a dominant role in civilian affairs under Suharto in a system known as "dwi fungsi" (dual functions). Since then, legislative seats reserved for the armed forces have been reduced by half to 38 and are due to be phased out in 2009.

But the military, whose costs are only partially met by the state budget, still controls an extensive business empire.

Sutarto also said the military "will not tolerate separatism by anyone, anywhere." The armed forces has been in the spotlight for rights abuses when combating separatist rebellions in Aceh and Papua as well as in East Timor in 1999.

Under a congressional amendment the US is barred from military sales or training programs with Indonesia until Jakarta accounts for the armed forces' role in the East Timor killings.

On Tuesday Sutarto's successor as army chief, Lieutenant General Ryamizard Ryacudu, was sworn in. He also vowed to stay away from politics.

According to figures given to parliament by Sutarto, the armed forces total 337,485 -- 261,173 army personnel, 52,118 in the navy and 24,194 in the air force.

New army chief a fervent foe of separatists

Straits Times - June 4, 2002

Jakarta -- Lieutenant-General Ryamizard Ryacudu, the outspoken Kostrad commander who took a tough public stance against separatist revolts in Aceh and Papua, has been named as Indonesia's new army chief.

A military spokesman, Major-General Syafrie Syamsuddin, said Lt- Gen Ryamizard would be sworn in today and would be promoted to full general when he takes up the post on Thursday. He will replace the current chief of staff, General Endriatono Sutarto, who is to become head of the Indonesian military.

In the past year, Lt-Gen Ryamizard, 52, has called often for military-led crackdowns on rebels fighting for the independence of resource-rich Aceh province, about 1,750 km north-west of Jakarta.

After Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri became Indonesia's President last year, the military launched a bloody offensive in Aceh. At least 500 people have been killed this year.

Both the new chief-of-staff and Gen Endriatono before him supported parliamentary moves to topple Ms Megawati's predecessor, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, who had introduced reforms to curb the influence of the military in civilian affairs.

University of Indonesia political analyst Arbi Sanit said Lt-Gen Ryamizard's appointment by Ms Megawati was "her way of paying her debts". He was "the right man for the job" because the army needed to be headed by a stern soldier, said Gajah Mada University political analyst Affan Gafar.

Lt-Gen Ryamizard graduated from Indonesia's military academy in 1974. He led Indonesian forces on United Nations peacekeeping duty in Cambodia in the early 1990s.