421 rebels killed in Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
At least 421 separatist rebels have been killed since Nanggroe
\nAceh Darussalam was placed under a state of civil emergency three
\nmonths ago, an official has said.<\/p>\n
Sr. Comr. Sayed Hoesainy of Aceh's civil emergency
\nadministration said on Tuesday that the rebels were killed during
\nmilitary operations since May 19.<\/p>\n
Over that same period, 20 soldiers and police officers were
\nkilled, mostly in clashes with rebels. Hoesainy also accused
\nmembers of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) of killing 50 civilians
\nover the past three months.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military released a report on Aug. 18 stating
\nthat at least 1,159 rebels had been killed in operations in Aceh
\nduring the past 10 months.<\/p>\n
Martial law was imposed in Aceh on May 19, 2003, as the
\nmilitary launched operations to crush GAM. One year after it was
\nimposed, the government downgraded the martial law to a state of
\ncivil emergency.<\/p>\n
The military operations were launched following the collapse
\nof a brief truce signed by the government and GAM leaders.
\nAccording to military and police figures, more than 2,200 rebels
\nhave been killed since May last year.<\/p>\n
Hoesainy said that over the past three months, civil emergency
\nforces had arrested at least 205 suspected rebels, and that 356
\nrebels had surrendered to security authorities.<\/p>\n
At least 358 firearms have been confiscated from GAM members
\nsince May 19, while soldiers lost four guns and police officers
\nthree firearms during that same period, he said.<\/p>\n
Hoesainy said some 800 other suspected rebels were being tried
\nin Aceh, and at least 132 of them had already been released due
\nto a lack of evidence.<\/p>\n
Most of those convicted and sentenced to more than three years
\nin prison will be transferred to jails in Java, he said.<\/p>\n
According to data from the Aceh civil emergency
\nadministration, as many as 415 convicted rebels have been
\ntransferred to prisons in Java since last year.<\/p>\n
The transfers are an apparent attempt to weaken GAM, which has
\nbeen fighting for independence since 1976, and to stop its
\nmembers from communicating, analysts say.<\/p>\n
Asked about the continued violence in Aceh despite its being
\nunder a state of civil emergency, Hoesainy said the military and
\npolice were attempting to provide security for locals.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/421-rebels-killed-in-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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