Aceh calm after GAM celebration<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The situation was generally calm in
\nthis restive province on Sunday following an overnight
\ncelebration of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) anniversary, except
\nfor police shooting of a young reveler in Pidie.<\/p>\n
Business activities returned to normal with markets and shops
\nreopening and public transportation reoperating, reports said.<\/p>\n
A number of buses plying Banda Aceh to the neighboring
\nprovince North Sumatra's capital Medan were seen along roads
\nlinking the two towns.<\/p>\n
But tension gripped Pidie for the second day running when
\npolice troops fired on 2,000 people marching on the main road
\nconnecting Banda Aceh and Medan in Uglele subdistrict from
\nBireun. The mass, some of them waved GAM flags and referendum
\nbanners, was heading for Sigli, some 100 kilometers away from
\nBireun.<\/p>\n
Pidie Police Chief Lt. Col. Endang E. Mikail Bagus identified
\nthe victim as Effendi Ahmad, 20, a resident of Batai Raya village
\nin Bireun.<\/p>\n
The shooting took place before dusk in front of the Uglele
\npolice station.<\/p>\n
\"We had to fire warning shots after one of the people lowered
\nthe national flag at a high school near the police station. Some
\nof them also attacked the police,\" Endang said, defending the
\nshooting.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said Effendi was shot in the head. He died on way to
\na doctor in neighboring Merdu subdistrict.<\/p>\n
Carrying Effendi's body, the mass insisted on carrying on the
\nmarch to Sigli. But dozens of police stopped them in Merdu and
\nafter two hours of negotiations, they canceled their plan.<\/p>\n
In East Aceh, about 3,000 children and teenagers poured into
\nthe main streets along Peurelak to the Langsa area, waving GAM
\nflags and referendum banners.<\/p>\n
The rally, which started at midday on Sunday, eventually ended
\nlater in a day without incident.<\/p>\n
It was also reported in West Aceh that locals continued the
\nsearch for two missing civilians over the weekend in Teunom
\ndistrict, 200 kilometers southeast of Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
The two men, identified as Sarwani, 25, and Muchtar, 25, went
\nmissing after their groups of a referendum parade were dispersed
\nby officers of Mobile Brigade at Alue Ambang village in Teunom on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Another civilian, Zainal Abidin, 35, survived the incident
\nwith a gunshot wound and was being treated at Meulaboh hospital.<\/p>\n
Locals said it was possible that the two missing men jump into
\nthe Teunom river to flee the fray, but some also suspected that
\nthey were brought in to Mobile Brigade Police headquarters in
\nMeulaboh.<\/p>\n
West Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Her Aris Sumarman confirmed
\nthe incident, but denied allegations that his office made the
\narrest. \"None of Saturday's parade participants were captured,\"
\nAris said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Police were forced to disperse the crowd after spotting some
\narmed civilians within the parade, Her Aris said.<\/p>\n
GAM chief in Meuhorom Daya, Teunom, however, denied on Sunday
\nthat there were armed GAM members joining the parade. \"We're busy
\nsecuring the flag hoisting ceremony,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately in Yogyakarta, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nSpeaker Amien Rais reiterated on Sunday that it is impossible to
\ninvolve a third party in solving the Aceh matter, as requested by
\nGAM.<\/p>\n
\"A third party is only needed when it comes to international
\ndisputes like the East Timor case,\" Amien said after attending a
\nground breaking ceremony for the development of Baitul Qohhar
\nMosque in Kota Gede.<\/p>\n
Amien also expressed his gladness that the GAM anniversary
\nwent without incidents of tearing the red-and-white national
\nflag.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that this is a good sign and reconciliation can soon
\nstart in this coming holy fasting month,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, political observer from Diponegoro University Ari
\nPradanawati warned the government and military to be cautious of
\npossible horizontal conflicts between Acehnese.<\/p>\n
A split between supporters of Aceh's independence and the ones
\nwho want to stay part of the country is emerging, Ari said,
\npointing to example of calls for refugees sheltered in North
\nSumatra to reenter Aceh and join GAM.<\/p>\n
\"We have to avoid greater conflict, which can add to the
\nalready complex problem,\" Ari said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Saturday, about 50 Islamic students from Semarang
\nmet with provincial councilors, calling on the Acehnese to stop
\nefforts to separate from the country and abort a plan to build an
\nIslamic state. \"We belong together. We can build a better
\nfuture,\" Mardjono, the group leader, said.<\/p>\n
The students also called on councilors to make a concrete
\nstatement for Aceh to stay part of the republic.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid has so far ruled out a referendum
\non independence and has warned that Jakarta would take repressive
\naction against any efforts to break away from the country.
\n(44\/50\/har\/edt\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-calm-after-gam-celebration-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}