Jakarta – The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Widodo AS, has admitted that the operation to restore security in Aceh, as one of five programs which make up the integrated operation under the state of civil emergency, has not been able to fully overcome the problems of separatism in the region.

Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) chief General Endriartono Sutarto says that placing TNI headquarters under the department of defense requires maturity on the part of the minister of defense in order that the TNI not be used as a tool of power.

Jakarta, Kompas – The new coordinating minister for politics, law and security, retired Admiral Widodo Adi Sutjipto, says that all of the ministries which are under his coordination will be prioritising efforts to resolve prolonged conflicts in Indonesia such as Aceh and West Papua.

[The following statement was issue by the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) following the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla at the national parliament in Jakarta on October 20.]

Jakarta – The coordinator of Indonesia’s NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy (HRWG), Rafendi Djamin, hopes that president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) will repeal the state of civil emergency in Aceh as part of the program of the first 100 days of his administration and in such a way establish a process of development a

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – What’s the relationship with the commemoration of the Indonesia’s 59th anniversary and the state of civil emergency in Aceh? Who knows.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) says that the government’s decision to reduce the status of martial law in Aceh to a state of civil emergency is not enough. If the TNI (armed forces) remains the people will still be repressed and continue to suffer.

M.Ilaham, Jakarta – Thousands of Acehnese who are residing in Jakarta held a series of demonstrations at the offices of the coordinating minister of politics and security, the presidential palace and the national parliament on Tuesday May 11.

M. Ilaham, Jakarta – The chairperson of the Association of Acehnese Families (Ikatan Keluarga Rakyat Aceh, IKARA), Faisal Syarifuddi, says that during the one year that martial law has been in place in Aceh it has brought great suffering to the Acehnese people, particularly innocent civilians.

[The following is a translation of a joint statement issued by the Joint Alliance of Indonesian University Students (Aliansi Bersama Mahasiswa Universitas Indonesia) following the recent clash between police and students at the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) campus in Sulawesi’s provincial capital Makassar.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) is to lodge a complaint with the Constitutional Court over intervention by the Aceh Emergency Military Command (PDMD) into political parties and the National Election Commission (KPU) in the Aceh general elections.

Woro Swasti, Jakarta – Two years after it was disbanded, Laskar Jihad is ready to be sent back to Ambon if the government cannot overcome the situation there.

M. Ilham, Jakarta – According to the government the elections in West Papua were a success, however for the people of Papua this cannot be said to be true, moreover as many as 70,000 Papuan people were not registered to vote. Identification cards are not longer used at polling stations [voters must have a separate voter registration card].

Alisa P., Jakarta – Martial law in Aceh has entered its 10th month, and has consumed huge numbers of civilian casualties.

[The following is a statement issued by Aceh Papua Solidarity (Solidaritas Aceh Papua, SAP) on April 12 following reports of intimidation and violence by the military during the April 5 general elections in Aceh and West Papua.]

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The elections in Aceh will not be delayed, but its implementation will be dependent on the security situation. There are fears however that the elections in Aceh will not be conducted in a democratic manner.

Jakarta, Kompas – General elections in Aceh will be held under a state of marshal law and hundreds of foreign observers will monitor the elections in Aceh.

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – International Women’s Day (IWD) was also commemorated in Surabaya, East Java. Around 100 students from the Poor People’s Front for Struggle demonstrated in front of the governor’s offices at the Grahadi State Building on Jalan Gubernur Suryo on Monday March 8.

Jakarta – Aceh has almost become the “forgotten” war. Because of this, Acehnese students believe that is necessary to hold demonstrations in Jakarta to remind people of the issue. Yesterday, at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, scores of Acehnese activists demonstrated over the fate of several recently arrested colleagues.

Banda Aceh – Since marshal law came into force in Aceh on May 19, 2003, the Banda Aceh Military Court I/01 has handed down verdicts on 90 legal cases involving 120 TNI (armed forces) officers.