25 July 2002

The Letters to Editor
The Sydney Morning Herald
GPO Box 3371
SYDNEY NSW 2001

Fax: 9282 3492

 

Dear Madame,

Lesley McCulloch's article (SMH, 23 July) is yet another of that writer's grossly distorted and unbalanced account of what has happened in Aceh. We sincerely regret the fact that a media of SHM calibre saw it fit to publish such an unsubstantiated allegation that terror by 'military-backed militia' reigned in Aceh.

McCulloch's method of merely using an unidentified individual as the prime source of her writing defies the credibility of the article. If one were allowed to use such a writing method, the world's history would have been different to that we currently know of and believe in.

As an academician and self-professed 'authority' on Acehnese politics, McCulloch failed to acknowledge the fact that in a hit-and-run guerrilla war, it is absolutely difficult to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants that may unfortunately result of innocent people getting caught in the middle. An Australian journalist operating in Aceh rightly
asserted that: 'Like all guerrilla wars, anyone, including the young boy on a passing bicycle can turn out to be the enemy' (The Australian, 20 July 2002).

Worse still, more than often, members of GAM have cowardly attacked civilian population, including kidnapping innocent people and burning schools, places of worship, and other public facilities then squarely put the blame on TNI in its vicious attempt to stir up negative sentiments, hoping to win the locals' hearts and minds. TNI have never
employed such a deplorable tactic, for not only will it hurt the Acehnese people, but also it will run counter to the guidelines laid down by President Megawati Soekarnoputri to end the conflict by chiefly promoting the welfare of the locals.

Certainly, we do not ignore the fact that there have been cases in which members of the armed forces committed wrongdoings during their missions. And, they have accordingly brought to justice to be held accountable.

I hope you will kindly publish this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Lutfi Rauf
Counsellor

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Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra - Australia