15 killed in Aceh as troops open fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 15 people were killed and 77 injured
\nwhen military troops fired on villagers in Pulo Rungkom, near
\nLhokseumawe, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Lhokseumawe Military Commander Col. Johny Wahab told The
\nJakarta Post the incident was triggered after thousands of people
\ntook 80 soldiers, who were searching for two missing personnel,
\nhostage.<\/p>\n
The officers were believed to be abducted by a group linked to
\nthe Free Aceh Movement on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Johny said the clash -- the second in less than a month -- was
\nan exchange of gunfire between soldiers and civilians.<\/p>\n
\"The shooting was a act of self-defense after the mob began to
\nopen fire. It was also unknown whether the fatalities were killed
\nby our bullets, because some people in the crowd were armed with
\nrifles,\" Johny said, adding that military personnel found a
\nnumber of projectiles from the Russian automatic AK-47s.<\/p>\n
Johny said his troops used only rubber bullets.<\/p>\n
No arrests were made following the clash and no deployment of
\nreinforcement troops, Johny said. \"We have restored order and
\nbusiness will be normal as usual.\"<\/p>\n
A doctor at Lhokseumawe General Hospital, Ridwan, said over 50
\npeople who were admitted to the hospital suffered gunshot wounds
\nto the head, stomach, legs and genitals. He confirmed live
\nbullets wounded or killed the victims, although he did not
\ndisclose whether the team of doctors found any bullets in the
\ncasualties' bodies.<\/p>\n
As of Monday evening at 7.30 p.m. West Indonesia Time, surgery
\nto save lives was still underway, according to Ridwan. Three
\nsurgeons and eight public doctors took part in the operations, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
As well as the Lhokseumawe Hospital, medical workers admitted
\ncasualties to a clinic belonging to state-owned fertilizer
\ncompany Pupuk Iskandar Muda and another health center in the
\nnearby town of Arun.<\/p>\n
A witness who requested anonymity told the Post the victims
\nincluded women and children.<\/p>\n
\"I saw hundreds of people, including old women and children
\naged under five being rushed to hospitals,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The previous clash in the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe
\noccurred on April 21 when thousands of students tried to attack
\nlocal police headquarters. A student and a member of the Mobile
\nBrigade were killed.<\/p>\n
Provocateurs<\/p>\n
Col. Johny said there were signs of the Free Aceh Movement's
\ninvolvement in the incident, due to the presence of people from
\noutside the village.<\/p>\n
\"We came to the village to negotiate the release of our
\nmembers, but the villagers had been told that we would attack
\nthem,\" Johny said.<\/p>\n
He said the mob fired on four military trucks loaded with the
\nsoldiers. As negotiations failed the crowd, armed with swords and
\nmachetes, surrounded the personnel and stoned them.<\/p>\n
A resident who requested anonymity, told Antara locals took
\nthe soldiers hostage in retaliation for the alleged recent
\nbeatings of villagers. \"We seek justice, but there has been no
\nresponse from the security authorities. It appears to be (an act
\nof) vengeance,\" the news agency quoted the resident as saying.<\/p>\n
Johny said North Aceh Military Commander Lt. Col. Giyono was
\nprepared to talk directly to the villagers, but he could not
\nreach the scene because the crowd had blocked off access to the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
Antara reported the mob also erected barricades on a section
\nof the highway connecting the provincial capital of Band Aceh and
\nthe North Sumatra capital of Medan. The barrier lasted five hours
\nuntil 1 p.m. when warning shots were heard.<\/p>\n
Shop owners stopped trading from midday. No public
\ntransportation was seen on major thoroughfares.<\/p>\n
Demands for a referendum in the westernmost province have
\nintensified in the past year, despite the government and military
\napologizing for past atrocities and human rights violations.
\nPresident B.J. Habibie issued a reconciliatory gesture during his
\nvisit to Banda Aceh last month.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Bali, police said on Monday they had deployed 500
\npersonnel to maintain order at Kuta beach, near Denpasar,
\nfollowing a brawl that killed a trader supervisor identified as
\nHerlima on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Badung Police chief Lt. Col. S. Sebayang told Antara the
\nsecurity personnel were posted in places prone to conflict
\nbetween local and migrant traders around the tourist area.<\/p>\n
Sebayang said two suspects were being questioned. He added
\nthat the case was purely a crime.<\/p>\n
More than 200 people burned down at least 175 kiosks belonging
\nto migrant traders last week, the result of an ongoing dispute
\nbetween local and migrant traders. (amd)<\/p>",
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