Embedded Journalists in Aceh

Embedded Journalists in Aceh By Kafil Yamin/ Jakarta May 30, 2003—As the Indonesian television journalist faced the cameras from atop a military truck, the sound of gunfire interrupted his report, providing immediacy and reality to his live broadcast from Aceh province. The reporter from Jakarta’s SCTV gets his exclusive coverage courtesy of the Indonesian military (TNI), which has been arranging for the media to go with its troops during operations that began on May 19, after the collapse of the peace process between Acehnese separatist rebels and Jakarta. The media have treated the Aceh war as exclusive entertainment, just like CNN and BBC treated the Iraqi war. —columnist Ariel Heryanto "We let reporters see what is happening. We want the public know what we are doing here," said Maj-Gen Endang Suwarya, the officer in charge of the current military emergency in Aceh, where rebels have been fighting the Indonesian state for 26 years. SCTV’s live report was followed by a press conference by Lt-Col Ahmad Yani Basuki, the commander for the restoration of security in Aceh, who briefed reporters on how the military operations were proceeding. Eighty-seven members of the Free Aceh Movement, known by its Indonesian acronym GAM, were killed, 32 were arrested and 41 surrendered, he rattled off. "The military also guards convoys of truck carrying food and other relief goods for the Acehnese," he said. This scene, along with the embedding of journalists with military forces, look familiar to Indonesian viewers who followed television coverage of the US-led invasion of Iraq. To many, Basuki was acting like US Gen Tommy Franks, whose briefings at the Central Command in Qatar were broadcast all around the world. "The military operation, the TV coverage, and TV talk shows on this issue are photocopies of the US-led ‘liberation’ of Iraq," commented John Hasbi, a Jakarta restaurant owner. "I think both the military and the media are imitating the US military and media’s handling of the Iraqi war," he said. "They might deny it. But the way they are doing this has given me a strong impression of such imitation." On Wednesday, Indonesian military chief Gen Endriartono Sutarto said the operation, being carried out by 40,000 military and police forces against some 5,000 GAM rebels, has been a success. "Our original plan was that within two months we would identify their [GAM] locations and reclaim them, however we made it in only two weeks," he said. Television commentators have also been drawing parallels between the handling of the war on Iraq and Jakarta’s offensive on Aceh. "The TNI treated the Aceh problem as a serious threat to national integration, just like the US saw Iraq as a threat to world peace and US national security," said columnist Ariel Heryanto. "The media have treated the Aceh war as exclusive entertainment, just like CNN and BBC treated the Iraqi war." The military operation by the TNI is now so open, transparent and well-managed. —activist Deden Riswanda Likewise, similarities are being drawn between the Indonesian and American post-conflict political plans. Just as Washington did after the war on Iraq, Jakarta has been hinting at putting generals and high-ranking military officers in top posts in the transitional administration they see for Aceh after the current military campaign. The military should be in full control during the transition period in order to prevent separatists from disrupting it, Home Minister Hari Sabarno said. All these signs of the armed forces’ high-profile role in not just in the military—but also the political—aspects of the crackdown on Aceh are causing discomfort among Indonesians who say it exposes the primacy of the military’s role in politics even after the Suharto era. The intensification of the conflict in Aceh, which has long resented Jakarta’s profiting from its rich natural resources and the military abuses of the Suharto years, may well mark a revival of the military’s role in politics, some activists fear. Thus far, the armed forces’ role in politics has been on a gradual decline since the Suharto dictatorship ended in 1998. "The military’s success in Aceh will help convince the public that the military’s role in politics makes sense," said Mahmudal, chairman of Student Solidarity for the People (SMUR). "Just like the US military campaign in Iraq convinced the Indonesian military that this [Aceh] operation made sense." Others, however, say there may be a good side to this imitation—it could be pushing the military to be more forthcoming about its actions. In truth, compared to past operations, "the military operation by the TNI is now so open, transparent and well-managed," said Deden Riswanda, an activist with the Pemuda Panca Marga youth organization. The Aceh operation was approved by Indonesia’s House of Representatives. Its terms and budget were also made public. Military officials said the operation is expected to last six months, to cost 1.23 trillion rupiah (US $148 million) and is subject to evaluation every month. In Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Security in Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other top officials hold regular meetings about Aceh with House members and journalists. "Never in the past has the military’s work been so transparent," commented journalist Nafik Abdurrahman. "The TNI has engaged in operations in Maluku, Papua, Kalimantan and other areas of conflict in this country, but never with this kind of transparency." "The military officials have taken the US military as an example, and it’s good," he said. "But they also took bad examples." For instance, Nafik said, "They restrict NGOs working on humanitarian aid from having access to the Acehnese caught in the warfare. They even reject aid that does not go through their command centers." There has been little mention by military officials of the more than 20,000 Acehnese civilians displaced in the last few weeks, news reports say. Finally, Indonesian officials appear to have begun to accuse Sweden of harboring and supporting separatist leaders—just as US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issued warnings to Syria and Iran during the war on Iraq, critics say. Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda said that Indonesia will likely review its diplomatic ties with Sweden—which had previously given political asylum to GAM leader Hassan Tiro and is home to other GAM leaders in exile—if does not cooperate with Jakarta. "We might reduce the status of our diplomatic relations with Sweden in the near future. It depends on how they respond to our proposals," he told journalists here Wednesday. Inter Press Service (IPS)

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)