More troops mobilized to clean up Aceh
cctv.com 01-16-2005 10:53
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered that Banda Aceh be cleaned up within two weeks. The Indonesian army troops in the area have been stretched to the limit, just trying to keep the operation going. But reinforcements are now on the way to the 40 thousand troops currently there.
In Banda Aceh, people in army uniforms are everywhere. The Indonesian troops are easily recognizable. They all carry guns, and they look tired. But the area is still a zone of conflict under martial law.
On Thursday, the government announced it will dispatch another 5 thousand troops to the area to reinforce the humanitarian operation. The troops there perform a dual role -- clean up and relief work and guarding against the harassment of the Free Aceh Movement.
The tsunami disaster has eclipsed much of the local people's pride. But from the grand mosques here, you can still sense the rich heritage of Aceh's glorious history, which may be the spiritual drive for the Free Aceh Movement, or FAM. The movement has been fighting a guerilla war to win independence from Indonesia since 1976. The movement launched a massive military operation against the rebels in May 2003 after the failure of peace talks in Tokyo.
To ensure the safety of all humanitarian workers, the government is trying to push the FAM not to disturb the ongoing relief operation in the province.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently met with six foreign ambassadors and asked for help to pressure FAM leaders living overseas not to interfere.
The Indonesian army's first policy following the disaster was to stop offensive military action against the movement and it has appealed to FAM to stop the conflict and to work with government forces to help the Acehnese.
And there just might be hope for at least a temporary peace. According to a report in the Jakarta Post, the FAM Commander-in-Chief Muzakkir Manaf said that his troops would stick to a cease-fire.
Editor:Hu Hang Source:CCTV.com
