30 civilians protest TNI intimidation in Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida and Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Hundreds of civilians have been fleeing their villages to the
\nAceh provincial capital of Banda Aceh to avoid human rights
\nabuses against them by security forces searching for separatist
\nrebels.<\/p>\n
The refugees, mostly from East Aceh, have been accommodated in
\nthe offices of local human rights and student organizations for
\nthe last three weeks.<\/p>\n
At least 30 of the refugees marched at the Aceh provincial
\nlegislative council on Monday to protest against alleged military
\nterror and violence perpetrated against them in East Aceh.<\/p>\n
Tengku Abdurrahman Puteh, a representative of the refugees,
\nsaid that every time soldiers came to their villages to hunt for
\nseparatist rebels, they would abuse and intimidate civilians,
\neven if they had no links with the rebel Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM).<\/p>\n
\"Not only do they (the troops) beat us, they also kidnap
\nvillagers, burn their houses and rape women. We can no longer
\nstand it,\" he said during the protest.<\/p>\n
Another refugee, identified as Rusli, who was forced to leave
\nhis pregnant wife in their village to join the exodus for safety
\nreasons, echoed Abdurrahman's statement.<\/p>\n
He said the refugees found it difficult to go to their
\nworkplaces as their movements were closely monitored by TNI
\ntroops, adding that large tracts of their land were being used
\nfor military installations.<\/p>\n
\"Even to go to our fields is so difficult,\" Rusli said.<\/p>\n
In a statement made available during the protest, the refugees
\ndemanded an end to the fighting, sexual harassment, arson and
\nkidnappings.<\/p>\n
They also urged the authorities to try human rights abusers
\nand withdraw all TNI and National Police personnel from their
\nvillages to restore peace there.<\/p>\n
\"We will not go home before the security forces are pulled out
\nof our villages,\" shouted women during the demonstration.<\/p>\n
For the last 25 days, the protesting refugees from East Aceh
\nhave been housed in the secretariat office of Jeumpa Mirah, a
\nlocal antiviolence student group. The victims include women,
\nelderly people and children.<\/p>\n
Another refugee, 72-year-old Muhammad Abidin, confirmed the
\nreports of military brutality in East Aceh, from where he along
\nwith a group of 125 villagers had to flee to Banda Aceh for
\nsafety.<\/p>\n
\"We have been forced to flee because life in our villages is
\nimpossible,\" Abidin, who is from Kuala Simpang village, told The
\nJakarta Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He admitted he was still traumatized by the killing earlier
\nthis month of eight civilians by TNI troops without any reason
\nwhile fishing off East Aceh.<\/p>\n
During the incident, Abidin said at least 43 houses and more
\nthan 10 motor boats had been set ablaze.<\/p>\n
Arman Arga, a 32-year old refugee from Buntul Kemumu village
\nin Central Aceh regency, said he was forced to seek refuge in
\nBanda Aceh after being robbed on Nov. 11 last year by a TNI-
\nbacked militia group about eight kilometers from his village.<\/p>\n
He also claimed he was tortured, beaten and kicked while being
\nheld at the Simpang Dua military post for four hours on charge of
\nproviding food to GAM members.<\/p>\n
\"Because I was not guilty, they (the troops) allowed me to go
\nto a coffee shop. However, I took the opportunity to flee into
\nthe nearby jungle,\" Arga added.<\/p>\n
He further said he saw houses belonging to local residents
\nbeing burned, and met a group of more than 400 people, including
\nwomen and children, who had also fled to the jungle.<\/p>\n
The refugees then set up camps at Krueng Tuan village, he
\nadded. \"Because life at the camp was increasingly worrying, I and
\n36 other refugees were forced to seek refuge here (Banda Aceh) on
\nApril 7,\" Arga said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at least six more people were killed in further
\ngunfights over the last two days in Aceh, local military and
\npolice officers said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The deaths came days before the government and GAM are
\nscheduled to resume peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, in May.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, two rebels were shot dead and one soldier wounded
\nin a clash in Pulo Panyang village in Peusangan subdistrict,
\nNorth Aceh, local TNI spokesman Maj. Zaenal Mutaqin said.<\/p>\n
Separately, local police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Achmad
\nsaid the bodies of at least four civilians bearing gunshot wounds
\nwere found in different locations in the regencies of West Aceh,
\nPidie and North Aceh.<\/p>\n
He blamed GAM for the deaths of the four villagers on
\nSaturday. \"Currently, GAM often kidnap civilians for ransom. If
\ntheir demands are rejected, they won't hesitate to kill,\" Achmad
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/30-civilians-protest-tni-intimidation-in-aceh-1447893297",
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