PRESS
RELEASE
Stockholm,
4 June 1999
ELECTION
ĀLA INDONESIA IN ACHEH
The Free
Acheh Movement In Europe has already decided not to take part in the
June 7 parliamentary elections this year. The Free Acheh Movement
In Europe believes that the Indonesian elections is nothing but jus
a democratic farce, and that will not bring any good for the people
of Acheh. Whatever political party wins and whoever leads Indonesia
afterward, Acheh will remain exploited and the Achehnese remain an
oppressed people.
The international
community should understand that Indonesia is a continent or a geographic
expression ruled by a bunch of technocrats, generals and their cronies
that are closely connected with multinational companies. This group
of people not only control the big companies but also possess the
lands of the indigenous peoples in this huge archipelago. The ruling
party, GOLKAR, along with the Armed Forces which has ruled Indonesia
since the heyday of its creation is still in the very same system
as in the old dictator regime of Suharto. Despite the much publicised
promises of reforms by the Habibie regime, nothing significant has
ever changed since Suharto was forced to step down in May last year.
Certainly,
the elections will not change the current situation faced by the Achehnese,
since we have no interest in that feast of democracy āla Indonesia.
The people have decided to boycott the elections, and they have right
to do so. As they have right to vote, they have also every right not
to vote. Now, even the most optimistic anthusiats for holding elections
in Acheh have started to realise that it is impossible to do it .
So let the Achehnese alone!
If we
look back into the situations before the introduction of Operation
Wibawa by the new regime early this year, the Armed Forces Commander,
General Wiranto, had come to Acheh to apologise to the Achehnese for
the excesses perpetrated by his soldiers during eight years DOM (Military
Operational District) between 1990-1998, and to withdraw all military
units from Acheh. And since then, tragedy after tragedy have taken
place and a great number of innocent people have become victims of
military brutalities, such as the massacres of Idi Cut and Dewantara
- to name a few. Even President Habibie himself has recently come
to Acheh and promised the Achehnese to bring to justice those accountable
for the atrocities committed in the name of "security" and "restoring
order".
And
now, instead of fulfilling his promises, Habibie and Wiranto have
dispatched thousands of troops to "secure" the coming elections, meaning
threatening people to vote. The troops have now been dropped in the
villages to see that everyone, under gun-points, be registered for
balloting. As a matter of fact, the villagers who are still not yet
recovered from the trauma caused by the eight years military operations
are so cared to see the soldiers enter their villages, interrogate
and intimidate them as well. As a result, for example, thousands of
villagers, especially from Pidie and North Acheh provinces, have left
their homes and become refugees in their own country. They are afraid
to go back to their villages without any written guarantee from local
governments. Many of them now, particularly the elderly, children
and women, are getting weak and sick because of sleeping on the cement
floor, of lack of medicine, shortage of food etc.
The Free
Acheh Movement In Europe appeals to all human rights organizations
all over the world and even the UN bodies relating to refugee protection
for a helping hand to help linger the terrible situation suffered
by Achehnese civilians.
Free Acheh Movement In Europe
