Aceh mass rally ends peacefully<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Contrary to people's worry, the mass
\ngathering involving around 50,000 people from all corners of the
\nrestive province of Aceh took place here peacefully on Saturday,
\nthanks to the organizing committee's commitment to the police.<\/p>\n
The gathering, taking place at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque
\nyard was filled by speeches by members of the Information Center
\nfor Aceh Referendum (SIRA), which sponsored the rally.<\/p>\n
No violence was reported and no single policeman or security
\nofficer was seen guarding the gathering. The traffic and parking
\naround the venue was also handled by the attendants of the mass
\ngathering.<\/p>\n
Cut Nur Asikin, a SIRA official, one of the orators, asked the
\naudience to maintain security and order.<\/p>\n
\"Please don't do any rebellious actions. I have made a deal
\nwith the Aceh Besar Police that my life is at stake. If you do
\nanything leading to disorder, I'll be finished,\" Nur Asikin said.
\n\"Don't break our agreement with the police.\"<\/p>\n
She said a meeting with Aceh Besar Police chief Supt. Said
\nHusain had been made before the gathering.<\/p>\n
The rally had previously planned to be used as a forum for a
\ncall for a referendum, but strong response from the central
\ngovernment apparently changed the organizing committee's plan.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Politics, Social and Security
\nAffairs Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Friday that
\nfirm actions would be taken to prevent the rally from turning
\ninto a call for a referendum or independence.<\/p>\n
Many of Saturday's rally participants were staying on the
\ntrucks, buses and other vehicles just yelled Merdeka (Freedom) to
\nrespond the speech. Some of them just stretch a large white
\nbanner with word Referendum painted blue on it.<\/p>\n
There were no Indonesian Red-and-White or Aceh Separatists
\nMovement (GAM) flags waged in the gathering. Some of people waged
\na United Nation flag.<\/p>\n
The people dispersed peacefully at about 3 p.m. without the
\norganizing committee's acknowledgement whether or not the target
\nof the assembly was met.<\/p>\n
The villages in the regencies of Pidie, North and South Aceh
\nwere all crippled. Like Banda Aceh, shops, offices and schools in
\nthe regencies were all closed on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Those who failed to join the rally just stayed at home or
\ngathered at local mosques for saying prayers.<\/p>\n
\"Such situation started four days ago after police officers
\nblocked all access to Banda Aceh prior to the mass gathering,\" a
\nlocal said. \"This has impact to the people's daily economy. An
\negg which was only Rp 350 each before now costs between Rp 500
\nand 700 each.\"<\/p>\n
Victims<\/p>\n
Police defended their claim that only 14 people were killed in
\nseparate incidents through the province over the past few days as
\nsecurity officers blocked access to Banda Aceh, obstructing
\npeople from attending the gathering.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post correspondent recorded, based on the
\nhospitals' records, the death toll reached 21.<\/p>\n
However, SIRA claimed that 32 people were killed by security
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
Coordinator SIRA's consulate in Cairo, Egypt, Munawar Zain
\ntold the Post on Saturday that a total of 200 people had been
\nkilled by police and military since Wednesday, and 210 others
\nwere injured.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's SIRA coordinator Faisal Saifuddin told a press
\nmeeting at Sabor Brazil cafe that SIRA could not condone the
\nIndonesian military and police atrocities.<\/p>\n
Reading the so-called Aceh People Decision for Peace,
\nFaisal said that all Indonesian military and police troops must
\nbe pulled out from Aceh soon. \"Or, we the whole people of Aceh
\nwill remain in peaceful resistance against the invader.\"<\/p>\n
\"Independence with enactment of Islamic Laws in Aceh State is
\na fixed price,\" Munawir added. \"Aceh must be an independent
\nIslamic state without Indonesian interference.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, political
\nobserver of the National Institute of Science (LIPI) Hermawan
\nSulistyo said that independence would not answer the complicated
\nproblems in Aceh. \"Who will become the king (leader). There will
\nbe many more problems to be dealt with.\"<\/p>\n
\"The main problem now is how President Abdurrahman Wahid's
\nadministration performs its promises to Aceh people through
\nconcrete actions,\" he said. \"The initial policy was good. There
\nwere humanitarian, security, political and economic approaches.
\nNow we need the actions.\" (50\/51\/01\/27\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-mass-rally-ends-peacefully-1447893297",
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