---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- The Straits Times, November 9 1999 Demand for Aceh vote not realistic: Military Province 'is a part of Indonesia and Acehnese' main demand is not independence but fairer treatment' JAKARTA - Indonesia's armed forces said yesterday that demands for a referendum on independence for the restive province of Aceh were unrealistic and bids separatism unconstitutional. "The demand for referendum is not realistic," chief military spokesman Major General Sudrajat said. "Aceh is a part of Indonesia. So Aceh is managed by Acehnese people together with the Indonesia people...That's why the demand for a referendum is not realistic and.. separatism is unconstitutional." The new Government of President Abdurrahman Wahid has put the province at the top of its agenda, conceding that a ballot was a possibility after the East Timor vote where the population voted overwhelmingly for independence. "I have told the government to solve the Aceh problem and if necessary, the President must go there as soon as possible," Mr Akbar Tandjung, the parliamentary Speaker, was quoted by Antara as having said. Maj-Gen Sudrajat said that the main demand of the Acehnese was not independence, but fairer treatment. He urged Acehnese to keep their emotions under control, adding that solving the thorny problem was a job for the government, not the military. "Aceh is not a problem for the Indonesian army, this is a problem to be solved by the central government," he said. "So, the army will await the decisions of the central government to find a solution to the demands of the Acehnese people." He added that he was unaware of an incident during the rally yesterday morning when a soldier was stripped naked. "If it really happened... I will consider this as an attempt to humiliate the armed forces. It is important that people avoid actions like this," he said. Meanwhile, some 100 prisoners broke out of the state jail in Aceh's capital yesterday morning. The Aceh Besar police chief, Lt-Colonel Dedy Suryadi, said. "Our personnel were at the jail but because they have been instructed not to use weapons, some 100 prisoners had an easy time escaping." The instruction was part of a general order to all security personnel in Banda Aceh, issued ahead of yesterday's massive pro- referendum rally in an effort to prevent violence during the event. --Reuters, AFP. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 15 Nov 1999 jam 04:09:08 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
