TNI Commander Reaffirms Military's Commitment to

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 013294

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From American Consulate Medan # 32, 2006

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV AS ID
SUBJECT: TNI Commander Reaffirms Military's Commitment to
Helsinki MOU



1. (SBU) Summary: In a speech in Aceh on November 6, TNI
Commander Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto said TNI would continue
to respect the Helsinki MOU after the departure of the Aceh
Monitoring Mission (AMM) next month. He also reminded his
audience that TNI had withdrawn from politics, acted under
the direction of the province's civilian authorities, and
could play an important role in Aceh's reconstruction and
development. Responding to blunt questions from the
audience, Suyanto said that TNI does not insist that GAM
disband and cited the fact that the military no longer
engaged in kidnapping as proof that the TNI had genuinely
reformed. Although other military officials have admitted
that "excesses" were committed in Aceh, this appears to be
the first specific admission that TNI had engaged in
kidnapping. End Summary.


2. (U) On November 6, TNI Commander Air Marshal Djoko
Suyanto spoke in Aceh to a large audience of government
officials, GAM representatives, ulamas, and civil society
representatives. The purpose of the speech was to reassure
the Acehenese that TNI remained committed to the Helsinki
MOU and that it would continue to respect it after the
departure of the European Union led Aceh Monitoring Mission
(AMM) next month.


3. (U) In his speech, Suyanto told his audience that despite
the significant progress made since the signing of the
Helsinki MOU in August 2005, distrust and fear of the
military remains widespread; all parties in attendance,
including GAM, TNI, and civil society, he said, should work
together to overcome these fears and suspicions. TNI has
lived up to its commitments in the MOU and the Acehenese
should not be afraid, he continued, because TNI has fully
withdrawn from politics and is now under the control of
civilian authorities. Emphasizing this point, he repeated
several times throughout his speech that the KODAM no longer
has independent authority and can only act with the consent
of officials in Jakarta and Aceh. Fears that TNI will
abandon its commitment to the MOU or to Peace, even after
AMM's mission has concluded, he said, are completely
unfounded.


4. (U)Discussing the role of the military in Aceh, Suyanto
expressed his belief that the military TNI might one day
play an important role in Aceh's reconstruction and
development. Citing the case of Irian Jaya, Suyanto said
that TNI could be an engine for development of critical
infrastructure like roads and bridges. He also denied
allegations that the military is constructing new bases in
Aceh and explained that the new facilities are intended to
replace those destroyed in the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake
and tsunami. Anyone who knows about the TNI budget, he
said, knows that we don't have the funds to be expanding in
Aceh. People who worry about the role of TNI in Aceh should
remember, he said, TNI is not spreading in the province and
it is not acting alone, it is working under control of the
civilian authorities and the direction of the governor.


5. (U) Commenting on the election, Suyanto warned that there
will inevitably be parties who are disappointed by the
outcome. Those groups should act with self control and
restraint or risk promoting anarchy.


6. (U) A rough transcript of Suyanto's remarks and photos of
the event can be accessed on OSIS (unclassified) at
http://transition.intelink.gov/state/sumatra/ 2006/11/panglim
a_speaks_to_aceh.html.


7. (U) During the question and answer period, Suyanto faced
blunt questions from a skeptical audience. Almost all the
questions came from ulamas and local officials; no GAM
representative asked any questions or made any comments. In
responding to the questions, Suyanto told the audience that
the military did not insist that GAM disband - GAM, the
acronym for Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (the Free Aceh Movement)
could just as easily stand for Gerakan Aceh Maju (Movement
for Progress in Aceh) or Gerakan Aceh Membangun (Aceh
Development Movement),he said.

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8. (SBU) Suyanto also pointed to the fact that he has
personally signed orders punishing 30 soldiers in the seven
months he has been military commander and the fact that TNI
was no longer engaged in kidnapping as proof that TNI has
genuinely reformed and is committed to peace in Aceh.


9. (SBU) Comment: although other senior TNI officials have
acknowledged that excesses were committed in Aceh, this
appears to be the first time kidnapping has been
specifically mentioned.
Pascoe