ACHEH-SUMATRA NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT
ACHEH NATIONAL ARMED FORCES
CENTRAL MILITARY COMMAND

PRESS RELEASE 01 May 2003

  THE FATE OF THE ACHEHNESE NATION IS IN THE HANDS

OF THE ACHEHNESE PEOPLE

         The TNA supports fully the steps taken by the civil leadership of the Government of the State of Acheh (PNA) towards continuing the dialogues between the PNA and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. The TNA and its entire network are ready to protect and implement whatever political decisions taken by the PNA diplomats. The TNA stresses that all negotiations that are going to take place between the PNA and the GoRI must not be tainted by ultimatums. Dialogues must be done with the spirit of peace and humanity. Based on these essential norms, we consider the ultimatums and threats freely thrown about by the Indonesian side are nothing but parts of the Indonesian primitive political method that should have been discarded a long time ago.

         The PNA is the legitimate Government in the eyes of the people of Acheh. The struggle of the TNA and the People of Acheh is to regain our full freedom from colonialism that has taken root since the World War II. The State of Acheh was a sovereign State and it has the right to regain its sovereign status as any other colonized countries after the World War II. It is the right of all nations to regain their independence, especially when such independence that existed before has been wrested by another nation. The initial principle of the PNA was for Acheh to be freed and regain its status as before being attacked by the Dutch and then annexed by a newly created nation called the Federal Republic of Indonesia (RIS), that in 1949 included the Sultanate of Acheh into its fold without holding any plebiscite as stipulated by the Charter of the United Nations concerning decolonization. We have however modified that principle in order to accommodate the wish of the RI and to avoid further bloodshed. The PNA has indeed compromised a lot on its principle and has agreed to surrender the decision on the future of the Acheh Nation to the people of Acheh themselves, for them to decide whether they want to be independent or to remain within the fold of the RI. The GoRI should have appreciated this sacrifice of the very principle of our struggle and not continue to demand things that are not within its rights.

         History has proven everywhere in the world that the struggle for independence of a nation can never be thwarted by non-democratic means. Only democracy can stop such a struggle, such as demonstrated by Canada in preventing the breakaway of its province of Quebec. Indonesian colonialists should have emulated the steps taken by the Canadian Government, instead of threatening to once again shed the blood of the peace loving and egalitarian Achehnese people.

         The GoRI should not have tried to threaten the Achehnese people with all sorts of military operations. Since 1976 it has launched countless military operations in Acheh but the only result it has managed to get is the increase of popular affection enjoyed by the TNA, apart from making the TNA bigger, stronger and more experienced.

         The TNA hopes that the GoRI, especially its military elements could return to the rules of the game that have been agreed upon in the CoHA. During the brief implementation of the CoHA, and before its current stage of stagnation, the PNA has shown its very strong commitment to the Agreement. However, the GoRI has chosen to respond our goodwill with provocation after provocation in order to derail the implementation of the CoHA. While it is true that violations have been done by both sides, however, the highest number, especially in the serious and very serious categories have been perpetrated by the RI side. Before the withdrawal of the JSC from the field, the number of TNA members killed by the TNI/Polri was 43, with dozens more kidnapped and missing. The number of civilians killed or kidnapped by Indonesian security forces is about the same (detailed data will be published later). There have been several cases of rape of Achehnese women and children also since the signing of the CoHA.

         The latest case of rape took place at Juli in the District of Bireuen, on 28 April 2003, perpetrated by a TNI soldier from the Battalion 144 from Palembang (South Sumatra). The victim is a 14 year-old junior high-school girl who is now still undergoing treatment at the Bireuen General Hospital for her ordeal. Cases of attack on TNA positions have become more often and more intense since the announcement of the plan to launch a large scale military operation in Acheh by president Megawati. At the Sub-District of Peusangan, Bireuen, which is one of the areas that have been declared a Peace Zone, the TNI has in fact added more troops and created several more command posts in blatant violation of the CoHA. This morning in Pidie, the TNI attacked several more positions of the TNA using heavy artillery, while we only shot back in self-defence, killing and wounding several of the attackers.

         The TNA condemns severely this escalation of violence that is taking more and more civilian victims. The GoRI side is fully responsible for this situation, because it is the one that engineered the paralysis of the JSC; the GoRI is also responsible for the cancellation of the JC meeting with all sorts of excuses, and it is the GoRI as well that has sent tens of thousands of additional combat troops to Acheh. The TNA calls on the United Nations to send its Special Rapporteur to Acheh to investigate the situation.

  Military Central Command,

TNA Spokesman,

signed: Tgk. Sofyan Dawod